Israel to Hold Fourth General Election... Netanyahu's Re-election Uncertain

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is giving a speech on the 10th (local time) in Ramat Gan, a city near Tel Aviv, one week before the general election. Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that if he is re-elected in this election, he will annex the Jewish settlements in the West Bank along the Jordan Valley to Israel, starting with the Jordan Valley. Source=Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] In Israel, voting for the general election to select 120 members of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) began at 7 a.m. local time on the 2nd. This election is the third general election held within a year for the first time.

According to local media such as The Times of Israel, concerns have already emerged that if a coalition government is not formed again, a 'fourth general election' could be held.

Israel's general election system involves voters casting ballots for party lists in a single nationwide constituency, and seats are allocated to parties based on their overall vote share.

The President of Israel nominates the leader of the party most likely to form a coalition government as the prime minister candidate after the general election, and if the candidate succeeds in forming a coalition government with a majority of seats (61 seats) alongside other parties, they become prime minister.

After the general elections in April and September last year, both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (70), leader of the Likud Party, and Benny Gantz (60), leader of the centrist Blue and White Party, failed to form a coalition government.

Recent opinion polls predict a close race between the Likud Party and the Blue and White Party. According to a poll released by Israel's Channel 12 on the 28th of last month, the Likud Party is expected to win 35 seats, the most, while the Blue and White Party is projected to secure 33 seats, just two seats behind.

Furthermore, the right-wing parties including the Likud Party are expected to hold a total of 58 seats, three seats short of a majority, while the Blue and White Party and the centrist-left bloc are projected to have 56 seats. This raises the possibility that Prime Minister Netanyahu or leader Gantz could again fail to form a coalition.

The 'Joint List,' an alliance of Arab parties expected to place third in the election, stated that they do not support either Prime Minister Netanyahu or leader Gantz due to their hardline stance on the Palestinian issue.

Avigdor Lieberman, former Minister of Defense and leader of the far-right Israel Beiteinu Party, which remained neutral last year, is negative about joining a coalition led by Netanyahu.

There is an option for the Likud Party and the Blue and White Party to form a national unity government, but leader Gantz has drawn a line, stating he will not join hands with Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is indicted on corruption charges.

Netanyahu, a conservative hardline leader seeking a fifth term, served as prime minister from 1996 to 1999 and took office for a second term in 2009, leading the Israeli government for over ten years.

Ahead of this election, Netanyahu attempted to rally conservative supporters by emphasizing the annexation of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, a Palestinian autonomous region, to Israel. Netanyahu is currently in a political crisis after being indicted by prosecutors in November last year on corruption charges including bribery, breach of trust, and fraud.

Gantz, Netanyahu's rival, is a former military officer who served as Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces from 2011 to 2015. Since entering politics at the end of 2018, Gantz has gained popularity with a fresh image. He is also regarded as a tough but pragmatic politician on security issues such as the Palestinian conflict.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.