Israel's Top Political Leaders Call for Turnout When Casting Vote

MADRID, 1 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The main political leaders of Israel have cast their votes this Tuesday morning in parliamentary elections that will mark the political future of a country marked in recent years by political instability, with widespread calls for participation and the occasional message for the predictably arduous post-election negotiations.

The current prime minister, Yair Lapid, has appealed to citizens to vote "for the future of the country", by exercising his right at the Tel Aviv polling station, after visiting the grave of his father, who also held positions of responsibility in government.

The main candidate to unseat him, Benjamin Netanyahu, has also called on Israelis to go out and vote in elections where participation can be a determining factor. "It is a great privilege, go out and vote", he has proclaimed in Jerusalem, accompanied by his wife, local media report.

The current head of Defense, Benny Gantz, has also vindicated his chances of being prime minister, despite the fact that the polls give National Unity about ten seats. "These elections are not about a big party, but about the party that can best combat incitement, division," he argued, for the sake of a third way.

Gantz could be decisive for the political future of Israel, just like the far-right Itamar Ben Gvir, who has raised his Religious Zionism to third place in voting intentions. Ben Gvir has ruled himself out as prime minister and, instead, has claimed the importance of him so that Netanyahu's is "a totally right-wing government."

On the fringes of the political dispute remains the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog, who by participating in the elections has claimed the "privilege" that a "free, fair and equal" process entails. "Without a doubt, all votes matter," he said, in another call for participation.

The authorities have enabled more than 100,000 polling stations for this day, in which the 120 seats that make up the Knesset (Parliament) will be distributed. The polls have not predicted a clear majority for any of the blocs, so the post-election negotiations will presumably be key again.