Israel votes in poll seen as referendum on Netanyahu

HAIFA — Polls have opened in Israel in a crucial election seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who ruled out a Palestinian state as part of a last-ditch appeal to right-wing voters.

About 6 million Israelis are eligible to take part in the vote on Tuesday to elect 120 deputies for the Knesset, or parliament, with polling stations opening at 7:00 a.m. local time.

Shortly after the polls opened, Netanyahu and his family cast their ballots at a polling station in West Jerusalem.

His ruling out of a Palestinian state appears to have failed to boost his electoral prospects. According to a recent opinion poll by the Israeli daily Haaretz, the Zionist Union, led by Isaac Herzog, is ahead of Netanyahu's Likud by four seats. 

Herzog also cast his ballot in Jerusalem.

National elections are held every four years unless the Knesset votes to dissolve the government and hold an election. In early December, Netanyahu fired Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Finance Minister Yair Lapid and announced an early election for the 20th Knesset.

Although Herzog and Livni campaigned on the promise to rotate in the role of prime minister, Livni announced late Monday that she was forgoing that agreement and that only Herzog will serve as the premier if the Zionist Union wins.

The move sparked backlash from opponents, including the prime minister. "Two things are evident. The first is that they are lying — either that they lied before or they're lying now," Netanyahu said. "The second thing — they are unable to handle the pressure."

Former Israeli President Shimon Peres publicly endorsed Herzog.

Zionist Union candidate Manuel Trajtenberg said that Israel "is at a crucial junction right now. We have hit a dead end in terms of socioeconomic issues as well as our international diplomatic relations. Change has to come."

"With all these defects, Israel is a very vibrant democracy, and people have a good sense of knowing when it's time to change," he said. "I trust in the people and the democratic tradition."

Analysts explain that Likud's performance may be harmed by the emergence of new right-wing parties, such as the Kulanu party, which draws from Likud's traditional base.

"The question now is whether it will weaken Likud enough to further fragment the party’s dominant position on the right," said Dahlia Scheindlin, an independent pollster. "If it further fragments it, it could mean that Likud may not be able to [catch up to] the Zionist Union." 

In an attempt to mitigate the damage, Netanyahu offered to appoint Moshe Kahlon, Kulana’s leader, as finance minister. Kahlon refused to endorse Netanyahu as prime minister, however, and rebuffed his offer.

Asked about expectations for voting day, Netanyahu's office and a Likud representative declined to comment.

In the 2013 election, which brought Netanyahu to power, voter turnout reached 67.7 percent. Participation is expected to hit a similar level this year.

Hundreds of voters in Haifa's Abbas neighborhood, home to many Palestinian citizens of Israel, were voting at a local elementary school early on Tuesday.

The Joint Arab List — a coalition of four Arab-majority parties in Israel — is expected to make a strong showing and is projected to pick up 13 seats, according to the polls.

"I will vote for the Joint List because this is a new development for Arab voters in Israel," said Mohammed Abu Toameh, 22. "It’s a huge step for us, and it could be very effective. It’s not just unity. This is our chance."

A vocal group of Palestinian activists calling for a boycott of the Knesset have also gained support this election season, partly because of Israel's brutal 51-day war in the Gaza Strip last summer and the slew of discriminatory laws that have targeted the Arab minority in recent years.

Nonetheless, the coalition enjoys broad support among the Arab public and is expected to gain 13 seats in the next government, according to recent polls.

Yousef Jabareen, a senior lecturer at Haifa University and No. 10 on the Arab Joint List, says his party expects more seats than polling suggests.

"We aim to represent our voters and the issues facing our community," he said, adding that the coalition's first goal was to "block any right-wing government" and consolidate considerable influence in the opposition.

"We will not be part of the coalition that continues the occupation in the West Bank and Gaza and continues to discriminate against our community [in Israel]," Jabareen added.