Netanyahu's 14-year grip on power likely to end as Israelis vote in record numbers

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s grip on power after a 14-year rule appears under threat as massive voter turnout was recorded in Tuesday's parliamentary elections.

Israel’s Central Elections Committee revealed that the voter turnout reached 55.7% by 4 p.m. local time, highest ever recorded at that stage of an election, compared with 47.5% during the previous polls in 2022.

The elections are the first ever since October 7, 2023 and the horrific Palestinian genocide that followed. More than seven million citizens are eligible to vote, including the ones who flew from abroad to cast their votes.

The 77-year-old Netanyahu is facing a challenge from former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot, whose opposition bloc is seeking to remove the country's longest-serving prime minister from office.

Opinion polls conducted ahead of the election suggested that Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition could lose its parliamentary majority, although neither bloc was assured of securing enough seats to form a government.

Interestingly, Netanyahu expressed concern over the unusually high turnout among Arab voters, urging his supporters to head to polling stations.

"If we don't wake up now, we'll find ourselves with a government of Mansour Abbas and Ahmed Tibi," he wrote on social media, referring to two prominent Arab politicians.

His remarks drew criticism from Arab political leaders, who accused him of using inflammatory rhetoric to mobilise his supporters.

Arab citizens account for approximately 21% of Israel's population and their votes could play an important role in determining the next government.

Meanwhile, thousands of Israelis living abroad have reportedly returned to the country to participate in the election.

Polling stations are scheduled to close at 10pm local time, after which television networks will release their exit polls.

However, the final outcome could remain uncertain for days, as political parties would need to secure at least 61 seats in the 120-member Knesset to form a majority government.