The Israeli parties attempted, Monday, October 31, a last effort to tip the scales on the eve of fifth legislative elections in three and a half years, which could devote the return to business of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accused of corruption.

At 73, the longest-lasting head of government in the country's history is trying to rally a majority of 61 deputies, out of the 120 in Parliament, with his allies from the ultra-Orthodox parties and the far right, which has the wind in its sails.

Proof of the ambient suspense, the latest polls credited Netanyahu's "right bloc" with 60 seats, against 56 for the outgoing Prime Minister, the centrist Yair Lapid, and his allies.

Yair Lapid's coalition lost its majority in Parliament in the spring with the departure of right-wing elected officials, prompting the government to call new elections, the fifth since April 2019 in Israel, a country which has struggled in recent years to give birth to coalitions or maintain them.

While the campaign started slowly, it has accelerated in recent days with religious parties displaying banners in the streets of Jerusalem and Arab formations distributing leaflets in Arab towns in the Galilee. 

>> Legislative in Israel: ever more to the right, Benjamin Netanyahu dreams of revenge

The Israeli Arab parties in dispersed order

In 2020, Arab Israeli parties reaped a record 15 seats by campaigning vigorously under one banner.

But this time, they are running in dispersed order under three lists: Raam (moderate Islamist), Hadash-Taal (secular) and Balad (nationalist).

In the Israeli proportional system, an electoral list must obtain 3.25% of the votes to enter Parliament with a minimum of four seats.

Below this threshold, the parties have no MPs.

Divided, the Arab parties are therefore more at risk of not reaching this threshold and thus favoring the victory of the Netanyahu camp and his allies.

France 24 correspondent Gwendoline Debono went to meet these voters in the city of Umm al-Faham, on the last day of the campaign.

With AFP

The summary of the

France 24 week invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you!

Download the France 24 app