- Elections: Natanyahu and Gantz face at the polls in Israel for the third time in a year
- Corruption: The Israeli Prosecutor's Office accuses Netanyahu of fraud, bribery and abuse of trust
- Electoral campaign: Israel announces the construction of thousands of new homes for settlers in Jerusalem
The third time may be the defeat in Israel. According to ballot polls, the election night could end with a year of political blockade. The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, would have achieved, along with his current allies (two ultra-Orthodox parties and Yamina) 60 of 120 seats of the Knesset. Only one point less than the magic figure he looked for in the two elections held in 2019.
Unlike September 17 when he lost by a point to the leader of the Blue and White centrist block Benny Gantz, the veteran head of the Likud has won the elections with 37 seats, beating Gantz by 4 or 5 .
In its ninth elections since 1996, Netanyahu has surpassed a rival headed by three former Army chiefs and the shadow of corruption that will be translated on March 17 in a Jerusalem court with the reading of the cases of bribery, fraud and abuse of trust
Despite the anger towards their leaders for having to return to the polls for the third time in less than a year, the Israelis have voted with the highest percentage of participation since 1999 . Reflecting the fierce struggle between the two major sectors of the country and especially the desire to end the political blockade.
The coronavirus did not break the will to vote. Not only because of the 16 centers authorized for quarantined voters but also by the vote of tens of thousands of Israelis who planned to be abroad but canceled their trips following the recommendation of the Ministry of Health.
The vote was a true reflection of the campaign: personal attacks, desperate search for the vote and fake news to reduce or raise the percentage of votes in certain districts. As it happened in this endless series that started eleven months ago, continued in September and ends on Monday, the games worked overtime. In a country where two voters are three opinions, the norm is to ask for shameless support on the voting day .
'Blue and White' focused on the most secular cities like Tel Aviv or Ramat Hasharon, where they are the majority, while the Likud turned to its fiefdoms like Jerusalem or Beer Sheva, where Netanyahu has known how to reverse the accusation of bribery, fraud and abuse of confidence in electoral weapon when proclaiming that he is the victim of an elite persecution to end the rightist government.
The referendum on Netanyahu casts a shadow so long that it eclipses everything. But the 6,453,255 voters had important decisions in their hands about the relationship between the State and religion or the situation of the judicial establishment after the Likud promised huge reforms to reduce its power. The conflict with the Palestinians has been relegated to the background because there is no negotiation to arouse the dilemma between right and left.
Gantz voted expressing his hope that "we begin to live with each other and stop lying . " He was referring to the tape released on the eve in which Netanyahu is seen talking to someone who subsequently recorded and leaked a conversation with Gantz's sounding consultant, Israel Bachar, who defined him as "danger to Israel." The video contradicted Netanyahu's words that had denied any relationship with the case.
"I call on everyone to vote. It is a great democratic right and we must be proud ," Netanyahu said before launching the likudnik vote on the street and in his popular social media accounts. Bibi achieved his goal in what could be his best election night since 2015.
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Elections in IsraelNetanyahu and Gantz face at the polls in Israel for the third time in a year
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