Sth Israel poll in 4 yrs sees highest turnout in 23 yrs

In Lapid Vs Netanyahu Battle, Far-Right Ben-Gvir A Key Player, Could Become Police Minister

As Israelis vote on Tuesday in their fifth parliamentary election in less than four years, former PM Benjamin Netanyahu is hoping to return to power, but polls are predicting another deadlock.

Once again, voters are choosing between a right-wing bloc led by Netanyahu and the governing alliance of rightwing, left-wing and centrist parties, led by PM Yair Lapid, that share little beyond their opposition to Netanyahu.

Netanyahu is currently standing trial on corruption charges, and his fitness for office remains a central question of Israeli politics. For the fifth election in a row, Israelis are roughly evenly divided between his critics, who feel that he should stay out of office until the end of his trial, and his supporters, who see his trial as a politically motivated sham.