Benjamin Netanyahu Pushes Comeback Bid In Tight Israeli Election Race

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a tight race on Tuesday as he bids for a return to power in an election that could turn on support from a far-right party whose leaders call for...

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a heated race on Tuesday as he seeks to return to power in an election that could galvanize support from a far-right party that calls on its leaders to expel those deemed unpro-Israel.

With the country entering its fifth elections in less than four years,

Voter discontent may hurt turnout, but growing support for the ultra-religious nationalist Zionist bloc and controversial co-leader Itamar Ben Gvir has spurred the race.

Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, is on trial on corruption charges, which he denies.

But his right-wing party, Likud, is still expected to take first place in parliament.

However, final opinion polls published last week showed that there are still fewer than 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, opening up weeks of coalition wrangling and possibly new elections.

Security and high prices topped the list of voters' fears in a campaign launched by outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid's decision to seek early elections after splits from his ruling coalition.

The campaign also took place against the backdrop of months of violence in the occupied West Bank.

but,

Political disagreements have been overshadowed by Netanyahu's outsized personality, as his legal battles have fueled the stalemate that has crippled Israel's political system since he was indicted on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in 2019.

With the legal troubles of Netanyahu, Ben Gvir and his cohorts continuing so far-

Right-wing leader Bezalel Smotrich has eaten up Likud's traditional hard-line base, and once-fringe religious Zionism is now set to become the third largest party in parliament.

Ben Gvir - a former member of Kach, a group on the Israeli and US terrorist watch lists - moderated some previous positions,

But the prospect of him joining a coalition government led by Netanyahu threatens to alarm Washington.

BY
ProBuzzFeed