Israel Election Sees High Turnout, Tampering Claims

Benjamin Netanyahu isn't just trying to win another term on Tuesday—he's trying to keep his political career alive. Israelis are voting in what many see as a make-or-break election shaped by the trauma of the October 7 attacks, wars with Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, and Israel's growing diplomatic isolation, per Reuters. The race is tight between Netanyahu's Likud-led right-wing bloc and a challenge headed by ex-military chief Gadi Eisenkot, a security hawk backed by both centrists and conservatives. Eisenkot's Yashar party has already made claims of ballot tampering, per Al Jazeera.

Netanyahu, on trial for corruption, has leaned hard on his record in wartime and his partnership with US President Donald Trump, who has endorsed him and backed strikes on Iran. Eisenkot accuses Netanyahu of fear-based campaigning and says Trump will work with whoever Israelis choose. Neither leader has a clear coalition path, raising the prospect that Netanyahu could cling to power as a caretaker if talks fail. By 10am local time, voter turnout was at nearly 17%, "the highest level recorded at that hour since 1981," per the Guardian. Exit polls will be released at 10pm local time, or 3pm EST.