For the fourth time in two years, Israelis will be heading to the polls as political deadlock grips the country’s parliament.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, elected in 2009, is trying to hold on his position during the vote, while also standing trial for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust charges.

In December 2020, Israel’s parliament, called the Knesset in Hebrew, was dissolved following the collapse of the coalition government between Netanyahu’s conservative Likud party and the centrist Blue and White party, led by Benny Gantz.

While the coalition was formed in April 2020, tensions were high between both parties, and the parliament would fail to pass a budget during the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis. 

Gantz was also meant to switch roles with Netanyahu, becoming the Prime Minister on October 2021 before the parliament was dissolved. 

Both men blamed the other for the crisis that steered the country towards the new election.

The parliament has 120 seats and allocates them proportionally to parties that win more than 3.25% of the vote. However, parties rarely win outright majorities.

Opinion polls predict an extremely tight race, which could lead to further deadlock and an unprecedented fifth election.

The other contenders

While Netanyahu leads the polls by a tight margin, he’s up against two right-wing candidates – Gideon Saar, who leads the New Hope and was a former interior minister for under Netanyahu’s government, and Naftali Bennett, leader of the Yamina, Netanyahu’s former chief of staff.

Centrist candidate and former broadcast journalist Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party is making the strongest threat to Netanyahu’s party. 

Meanwhile, Gantz’s Blue and White party has lost popularity since forming its coalition government with Netanyahu.

Netanyahu’s hopes Coronavirus vaccine helps campaign

Netanyahu has touted the country’s successful vaccine campaign against the coronavirus, banking on it to help his re-election campaign.

In under three months, 80% of the country’s adult population has been vaccinated. The country has slowly reopened schools, restaurants, museums, and the main airport days before the election.

But opponents have accused Netanyahu his clumsy handling of the pandemic, with lockdowns hitting the economy hard, thousands of businesses failing, and unemployment remaining at double digits.

A referendum on Netanyahu?

Netanyahu has faced calls for his resignation because of his growing corruption charges. The first witnesses will be called on April 5.

For the last nine months, demonstrators have marched to throughout Israel, calling for Netanyahu to be removed from office, with over 20,000 protesters reported at a march at Jerusalem's Paris Square prior to Tuesday’s votes. 

Opinion polls find that around 15% of voter are still undecided before the election.

A survey from the Jerusalem Post on the Friday ahead of the election found that neither a pro- nor anti-Netanyahu bloc will receive the 61 seats to form a new government. Polls do suggest that the Likud party will certainly win the most seats, but it’s far from clear if they will be able to form a majority coalition.

Analysts expect a turnout lower than the 71% for the election a year earlier, due mostly to the coronavirus and voter fatigue. 

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