Israel votes; Netanyahu looks set to get 3rd term
23 Jan 2013 5:55 AM IST
Israel's hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to win a third term with a resounding mandate for his hardline right-wing bloc, as polls opened on Tuesday amid voter apathy and centre-left parties in disarray.
Polls for 120-member Knesset (Israeli Parliament) opened early on Tuesday morning and will close at 10 pm (local time).
All the opinion polls conducted by leading newspapers and agencies have predicted victory for the right bloc led by 63-year-old Netanyahu.
Some 5.65 million Israelis are eligible to vote in the parliamentary elections and over 20,000 security personnel have been deployed to secure the vote.
The hawkish leader's possible return is being seen as a bad omen for prospects of resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians that may lead to Israel's increased international isolation.
Netanyahu, who came under severe international criticism for the deadlock in peace talks with the Palestinians over the issue of settlements, has centred his campaign on success in pushing the Iranian nuclear threat to the top of the global agenda and keeping the Jewish state's economy relatively stable despite a worldwide recession.
However, the deadlock with the Palestinians that resulted in the Palestinian Authority unilaterally seeking an upgrade in its UN status and a rift with close ally US President Barack Obama has led to severe criticism against the Israeli leader.
Netanyahu was the first of the candidates to vote, shortly after the polls opened at 7 am (local time).
Accompanied by his wife Sara and his two sons Yair and Avner, the Israeli Premier cast his ballot at the Paula Ben Gurion school in Jerusalem.
‘We want Israel to succeed, we vote Likud-Yisrael-Beitenu ... The bigger it is, the more Israel will succeed,’ he said after casting his ballot amid dwindling numbers in opinion polls for the list in support of smaller right wing factions.
‘This is the first time the whole family votes together. I keep saying that the Likud-Yisrael Beiteinu represents the whole people and in this case the whole family. Anyone who wants Israel to succeed should vote for one large party,’ he stressed.
Opinion polls taken shortly before the election showed falling support for Likud-Beitenu, which is now seen taking 32 seats, 10 fewer than it currently holds, although the centre-left together seems no where close to preventing a right-wing coalition.
Israel's Nobel laureate President Shimon Peres voted at the Charles E Smith High School for the Arts in Jerusalem.
‘On Tuesday the state is asking citizens to vote for a free, beautiful, democratic country,’ he said after casting his ballot. Asked whether he had any doubts about whom to vote for, Peres replied, ‘Everyone should have some doubts about who to vote for but not about the act of voting. All citizens must be proud of their country.’
Polls for 120-member Knesset (Israeli Parliament) opened early on Tuesday morning and will close at 10 pm (local time).
All the opinion polls conducted by leading newspapers and agencies have predicted victory for the right bloc led by 63-year-old Netanyahu.
Some 5.65 million Israelis are eligible to vote in the parliamentary elections and over 20,000 security personnel have been deployed to secure the vote.
The hawkish leader's possible return is being seen as a bad omen for prospects of resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians that may lead to Israel's increased international isolation.
Netanyahu, who came under severe international criticism for the deadlock in peace talks with the Palestinians over the issue of settlements, has centred his campaign on success in pushing the Iranian nuclear threat to the top of the global agenda and keeping the Jewish state's economy relatively stable despite a worldwide recession.
However, the deadlock with the Palestinians that resulted in the Palestinian Authority unilaterally seeking an upgrade in its UN status and a rift with close ally US President Barack Obama has led to severe criticism against the Israeli leader.
Netanyahu was the first of the candidates to vote, shortly after the polls opened at 7 am (local time).
Accompanied by his wife Sara and his two sons Yair and Avner, the Israeli Premier cast his ballot at the Paula Ben Gurion school in Jerusalem.
‘We want Israel to succeed, we vote Likud-Yisrael-Beitenu ... The bigger it is, the more Israel will succeed,’ he said after casting his ballot amid dwindling numbers in opinion polls for the list in support of smaller right wing factions.
‘This is the first time the whole family votes together. I keep saying that the Likud-Yisrael Beiteinu represents the whole people and in this case the whole family. Anyone who wants Israel to succeed should vote for one large party,’ he stressed.
Opinion polls taken shortly before the election showed falling support for Likud-Beitenu, which is now seen taking 32 seats, 10 fewer than it currently holds, although the centre-left together seems no where close to preventing a right-wing coalition.
Israel's Nobel laureate President Shimon Peres voted at the Charles E Smith High School for the Arts in Jerusalem.
‘On Tuesday the state is asking citizens to vote for a free, beautiful, democratic country,’ he said after casting his ballot. Asked whether he had any doubts about whom to vote for, Peres replied, ‘Everyone should have some doubts about who to vote for but not about the act of voting. All citizens must be proud of their country.’
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