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April 9, 2019

Israelis Head to Polls as Future of PM Netanyahu Remains Unclear
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In Israel, voters are heading to the polls today in a hotly contested
parliamentary election that many say is a referendum on Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu's 10-year rule. Netanyahu has been embroiled in
multiple corruption scandals, and his hard-line nationalist rhetoric and
policies have raised concern among centrist Israelis. Meanwhile,
unwavering support from the Trump administration-including recent moves
to recognize the Golan Heights as sovereign Israeli territory and to
designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terror group-has bolstered his
popularity among conservative Israelis.

Netanyahu's main opponent, former army chief Benny Gantz, who heads the
Blue and White party, has also relied on pro-security and military
rhetoric but claims he will be able to unite Israelis.

As voting got underway around the country, a judge filed a complaint
after Netanyahu's Likud party provided election observers at polling
stations in Arab neighborhoods with 1,200 body cameras.


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