Israeli voter turnout hits 53-year high as Netanyahu fights to stay in power
The surge could reshape close races as parties near the 3.25% threshold face a higher vote requirement, officials said.
- On Tuesday, Israelis surged to the polls at the fastest rate in 53 years, passing wartime judgment on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the first election since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks.
- Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader with 19 years in office, faces intense scrutiny over security failures and polarizing policies that critics argue have deepened international isolation and weakened democratic institutions.
- Challenger Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief of staff, campaigns on accountability, stating, "I am convinced that by the end of today, we will see a change." His platform appeals to security hawks and those opposing Netanyahu's far-right coalition.
- Arab voters are participating in "unprecedented" numbers, with Islamist Ra'am party head Mansour Abbas hoping turnout will surpass 70 per cent in Arab communities, prompting far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to warn of Abbas-led government.
- Opinion polls show a tight race with neither leader facing an easy path to power; Netanyahu could remain as caretaker if neither candidate forms a coalition within Israel's 120-seat parliament.
135 Articles
135 Articles
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Turnout for Israel's 2026 elections is at its highest pace in more than 50 years, officials said — with Wonder Woman actor Gal Gadot among those who cast their ballot on Tuesday calling for a change.
More than 4 million voters had cast their ballots nationwide as of 4 pm, says acting head of election commission
Israeli voter turnout hits 53-year high as Netanyahu fights to stay in power
Voter turnout in Israel's election on Tuesday hit a 53-year high as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, already the longest-serving leader in the country's history, fights to hold on to power as he faces opposition over his handling of the wars in Gaza and Iran. Israel's Central Elections Committee said voter turnout was at 55.7 percent at 4 p.m. (10 a.m. EST), having reached 47.5 percent by that time during the 2022 election.
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