Record turnout as Israeli voters deliver verdict on Netanyahu

JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) — Israelis flocked to the polls Tuesday in record numbers as a deeply divided electorate delivered a verdict on veteran right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the first election since the October 7, 2023 attack.

After casting his vote in Jerusalem, Netanyahu expressed worry over high voting among Israel’s Arab minority and warned of attempts to “steal the election”, a signal of a potential long fight ahead as he echoed his ally, United States (US) President Donald Trump.

Nationwide turnout as of 2:00 pm (1200 GMT) was the highest at that point in the day since such statistics were first recorded in 1973, with the Central Elections Committee giving a figure of 44.9 per cent.