Voter turnout in the Israeli elections at the midway point reached 44.9%, the highest recorded at this hour of the day since 1973. By 2 PM (12:00 UTC), about 3.29 million Israelis had cast their votes.
Attention to Youth and Right-Wing Parties
Polls indicate that young Israelis are more inclined to vote for right-wing parties, particularly the "Otzma Yehudit" party led by Itamar Ben Gvir. According to a poll conducted by Akam Labs at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, supporters of this party are younger than the average Israeli voter, and nearly one-third of them are voting for the first time.
Since the 2022 elections, over 500,000 Israelis have reached voting age. Of this number, three out of four identify as right-wing or center-right. A poll conducted for Channel 12 also indicated that this survey does not include Palestinian citizens of Israel.
Election and Security Situation
One year after the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, Israelis have witnessed a two-year war with Gaza that led to the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians. This attack significantly fueled insecurity and increased violence by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank.
While security issues remain the main concern for Israeli voters, a topic that was notably absent from the election campaign was the peace process with the Palestinians. This discussion has been sidelined after years of conflict and unsuccessful negotiations.
Gadi Eisenkot, the main rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urged voters to set aside what he calls the worst government in Israel's history and promised a more responsible leadership. At a polling station in Holon, located south of Tel Aviv, he said, "A change is blowing in Israel, and this change will happen tonight at 10 PM. We will lead Israel with unity and true love."
Eisenkot also urged people not to succumb to the heat and disruptions at polling stations and to remain committed to their mission. He emphasized that he is committed to voting against what he considers the worst government since the establishment of Israel.
Meanwhile, the Central Election Committee of Israel announced that "there are currently no signs of systematic fraud in the ballots." This statement came after Netanyahu's claim that Arab-Israeli parties were attempting to steal the election.
Netanyahu also referred to reports about the arrest of three senior officials from the Ra'am party, which has a base of Muslim Arab voters. He emphasized that "we cannot leave this war in the hands of the left and Arab parties that want to end the Jewish state."
