Party leaders across spectrum have common message as they cast ballots: Go vote!
Political leaders turn out early to cast their votes on second Election Day of the year in Israel; voter turnout could play key role in deciding outcome of tight race
Party leaders turned out early Tuesday to cast their votes in Israel’s second national election of the year.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara arrived at their Jerusalem polling station to cast their vote in the Israeli elections Tuesday.
Vying for a fifth term the prime minister said this is a very close election and called on citizens to come out and vote.
This is the second election held in Israel in less than six months after Netanyahu, who is hoping for an unprecedented fifth term in office, failed to form a coalition government after the April ballot.
His Likud party then pushed through a law to dissolve the Knesset, thereby avoiding a situation in which President Reuven Rivlin could task another party leader with coalition building.
The head of the Blue and White Party Benny Gantz voted close to his home in Rosh Haayin, near Tel Aviv.
The former army chief wished Israelis good luck in the elections as he arrived at the polling station flanked by supporters.
Avigdor Liberman, the leader of the right-wing, secular Yisrael Beytenu party - who could emerge as the kingmaker of the elections - voted with his wife at his home in the West Bank settlement of Nokdim.
Liberman urges all Israelis to vote, calling it "a civic duty.”
Leader of the far-right Yamina Party, Ayelet Shaked arrived at her polling station in Tel Aviv with husband and their two children.
Shaked also called on citizens to vote and claimed there are up to 30% voters still undecided.
In the city of Sderot, near the Gaza border, Labor-Gesher chief Amir Peretz told supporters as he arrived to cast his ballot, that every vote counts and everyone should vote.
Voter turnout may be the deciding factor in these elections though it is expected to be low.
