Israel Votes in Close Election With No Clear Majority

Israelis began voting Tuesday in a closely contested parliamentary election that could end Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s tenure, with neither his governing bloc nor the opposition assured of the seats needed to form a government. The election chooses all 120 members of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. Voters select party lists, not a prime minister directly, and a bloc generally needs at least 61 seats to command a majority. Polling assessments point to a tight race between Netanyahu’s Likud-led alliance and an opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief who heads the Yashar party. The vote is the first national election since the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, and the wars that followed. Security failures surrounding the attack, military service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, living costs and Israel’s international standing have featured in the campaign. Netanyahu’s opponents have focused on his responsibility for the security breakdown and his government’s policies; Netanyahu has campaigned on his security credentials and leadership during the conflicts. Eisenkot has pledged to establish an independent state commission of inquiry into the...