Israeli opposition urges turnout to end Netanyahu rule

Israeli opposition leaders on Tuesday urged voters to turn out in large numbers in parliamentary elections to end Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rule as polling stations opened across the country at 7 am local time. Voting is scheduled to continue until 10 pm.

Opposition calls for change

Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the opposition Yisrael Beiteinu party and former defense minister, called on Israelis to vote to bring an end to Netanyahu's political era, while Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party and a former army chief, said replacing Netanyahu depends on his party emerging as the largest political force. "Vote. Let's put an end to the Netanyahu era and the rule of the Haredim," Lieberman wrote on social media platform X, referring to ultra-Orthodox religious groups, and Eisenkot wrote on the same platform that "there is only one path to achieving change and replacing Netanyahu, and that is the Yashar path." Netanyahu has headed Israel's current right-wing government since late December 2022 — described as the most far-right in the country's history — while both Eisenkot and the incumbent oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state despite UN resolutions supporting a two-state solution.

Warnings of interference

Gilad Kariv, a lawmaker from the opposition Democrats party, urged voters to participate in the elections, describing the vote as an opportunity for political change. "Today, we are taking the struggle we have waged over the past four years to the ballot box," Kariv wrote on X, adding that Election Day marked "the beginning of four years of hope." He warned that Netanyahu and his allies would attempt to undermine the electoral process by spreading misinformation, stating that "our response must be a massive turnout at the polls."

Legal challenges facing incumbent

The elections are widely seen as crucial for the political future of Netanyahu, 76, who is standing trial on corruption charges including bribery, fraud and breach of trust. "In the coming hours, Netanyahu and his associates will flood you with fake news and misleading messages in an attempt to undermine the elections by spreading lies and illusions," Kariv said. The prime minister has also been wanted by the International Criminal Court since 2024 over war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against Palestinians during Israel's war on the Gaza Strip, where more than 74,000 people have been killed since October 2023.