Israelis began voting on Tuesday in national elections are being held for the fifth time since 2019, hoping to break the political deadlock that has paralyzed the country for the past three and a half years.
The foremost issue once again was former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his fitness to serve amid corruption charges. His main rival is caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid, a centrist who cobbled together the short-lived coalition that sent Netanyahu into the opposition last year. Opinion polls were predicting another tight race.
Polls close at 10 p.m. But official results aren’t expected until Wednesday, and the process of trying to form a new coalition government could drag on for weeks.