Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) casts his ballot at a polling station in Jerusalem on Oct. 27, 2026. Voting in Israel's parliamentary election began at 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political future in focus. (Israel's Government Press Office/Handout via Xinhua)
JERUSALEM, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Voting in Israel's parliamentary election began at 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political future in focus.
Netanyahu has campaigned on his security record and close ties with U.S. President Donald Trump, while his opponents accuse him of failing to take responsibility for the Oct. 7 attack and of deepening the country's political divisions, including by promoting a highly controversial judicial reform.
The latest opinion polls showed a tight race between Netanyahu's right-wing bloc and opposition parties led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot. Neither camp is expected to secure the 61 seats needed for an outright majority in the 120-member Knesset, potentially leading to weeks of coalition negotiations after the election.
A total of 7,331,981 Israelis are eligible to vote at 12,018 polling stations across the country, according to the Central Elections Committee, which oversees the election. Thirty-six party lists are competing.
The election, Israel's first since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, is widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu's leadership, with voters divided over his handling of the wars, security failures, and the country's future direction.
"I think this is one of the most important elections the country has ever had," said Roy Azulai, 30, a computer engineering student who arrived at a polling station in Tel Aviv early Tuesday morning.
"We definitely need a change of direction. We've had enough of wars and corruption," he said.
Ahia Yedia, 51, a flower shop owner, said he had voted for Netanyahu's Likud party in most elections since turning 18 and planned to do so again.
"For me, the decisive issue is security. I know Bibi puts our security first," he said, using Netanyahu's nickname. ■
A voter casts her ballot at a polling station in Umm al-Fahm, northern Israel, on Oct. 27, 2026. Voting in Israel's parliamentary election began at 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political future in focus. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua)
A voter casts her ballot at a polling station in Bnei Brak, central Israel, on Oct. 27, 2026. Voting in Israel's parliamentary election began at 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political future in focus. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua)
Yair Golan, leader of The Democrats party, casts his ballot at a polling station in Rosh HaAyin, central Israel, on Oct. 27, 2026. Voting in Israel's parliamentary election began at 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political future in focus. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua)
