Netanyahu eyes comeback as Israel votes in the fifth election in four years
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Alaina
- . November 2, 2022
- . Update: November 11, 2022 1:07 am
Israel is heading to the ballot box in the fifth election in four years. For the first time in 13 years, former Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, is hoping to return to power.
Netanyahu was Israel’s longest-serving leader, serving as prime minister from 2009 to 2021. His leadership was brought to an end in 2021.
Israelis began voting on Tuesday amid a tight race between the current Prime Minister, Yair Lapid and opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to Axios, the last polls published on Friday showed a 60-60 tie between Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc and Lapid’s centre-left bloc. Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid, has also urged voters to vote for him.
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No political party has ever won enough votes to form a majority in Parliament in the country. The parties usually form coalitions to establish the government in Israel.
Earlier, Naftali Bennett, the leader of the right-wing political alliance Yamina, had led an eight-party coalition made up of political opponents from the right, left and centre to form the government.
Netanyahu has to win at least 61 of the 120 seats in Israel’s Parliament to form the government. The election came months after the ruling coalition – led by Naftali Bennett and the current prime minister Yair Lapid – lost their parliamentary majority in May this year.
If no party or coalition crosses the majority mark in the election, Lapid will remain the country’s caretaker Prime Minister. However, Israel will head to the polls again in the next few months.
Why does Israel have elections so often?
The country has a multi-party parliamentary system. However, no party has won a majority in Parliament. Political parties usually form alliances and reach the required 61 seats in order to form a government. Such coalitions affect the country and the political system. A simple resignation of one or two legislators could topple the government. The resignation of an Israeli-Palestinian lawmaker affected the Lapid-Bennet coalition this year.
