JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was fighting for his political survival on Tuesday as the country held its fourth parliamentary election in two years.
The election is widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu’s divisive rule, and once again, opinion polls were forecasting an extremely tight race. Exit polls were scheduled to be released by Israel’s three major TV stations after the end of voting at 10 p.m. (2000 GMT), but it could be several days before the true outcome of the race is known.
The three-month campaign was largely devoid of substantive issues and focused heavily on Netanyahu’s personality and whether he should remain in office. In contrast to past elections where he faced off against a clear rival, this time a diverse array of parties is trying to topple him, having little in common beyond their shared animosity toward him.
