ISRAEL – Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister in his reelection bid on Tuesday, had a slight advantage over his challenger, Benny Gantz. The polling stations were opened at 7 a.m. to over 6 million eligible voters and polls, and partial results reveal Netanyahu might be reelected if trends continue and this will mean his fifth term in office. It will also mean he is Israel’s longest-serving leader after David Ben-Gurion, the founding father.
His competitor, Benny Gantz is the leader of the Blue and White political party and also a former military chief. After voting alongside his wife in Rosh Haayin, his hometown of central Israel, he urged Israelis and also take responsibility for their vote saying:
“Go to vote. Choose whoever you believe in. Respect each other and let us all wake up for a new dawn, a new history.”
Netanyahu called voting a “sacred act” while voting in Jerusalem alongside his wife. He vowed to extend Israeli’s sovereignty over the West Bank if reelected.
Benjamin Netanyahu is 69 years old and has remained a dominant Israeli politics force for two decades. His reelection campaign was directed towards fostering friendship with President Trump and also becoming an ally with China, Brazil and India. He also pledged to dismantle single Jewish settlements and ensure the control of the West Bank (the territory west of the Jordan River). Presently, over 600,000 Israelis live in the West Bank.
The outcome of Tuesday’s election relies heavily on Arab voters who did not turn up to vote as many of them accused Netanyahu of incitement and boycotted the elections in return. Just an hour before the end of the polls, Arab turnout was 46%, as opposed against the 61% turnout nationwide and their political and religious leaders could be heard making last-minute appeals for Arabs to vote.
