Daijiworld Media Network - Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Oct 27: Israelis turned out to vote in the election to the 26th Knesset, expressing hopes for peace in the region and a brighter future for their country.
Around 7.3 million eligible voters are registered across Israel, with more than 12,000 polling stations set up for the election.
Speaking to reporters, a local resident said people wanted peace in Israel and across the world.
“We absolutely do not like war and want peace in Israel as well as across the world. I have also visited Belgium, but I did not find it particularly appealing, and Israel is a very good country of its own. There is democracy in Israel, not dictatorship,” the resident said.
A young woman returning after casting her vote expressed confidence in Israel’s strength and hoped the newly elected representatives would work towards a better future.
“Israel is a very good country, and we are very strong. We do not need anyone’s help. I voted for the team I like….. And other really great people and women and men in the team that I really want; they should come and be in Knesset and make the future better,” she told media persons.
Another resident urged citizens aged 18 and above to exercise their democratic right and participate in the election.
“Everybody should go out and vote. Everybody who’s over 18 years old should come and say what they need to say and put the specific paper that they want in votes, and should go out and vote. More people should vote; everybody should vote,” the resident said.
Describing the election as a defining moment for the country, another voter told IANS, “I say this election is the most important in the history of the State of Israel.”
Israel’s Central Election Commission Director General Dean Livne outlined the scale of the electoral arrangements, saying 7.3 million eligible voters would cast their ballots at 12,018 regular polling stations, with another 300 booths in special locations such as hospitals, prisons and army facilities.
“We will print, we printed already 450 million ballot papers, and we’ll do it in 12,335 different places around the country. Our budget is around 700 million New Israeli Shekels, a little less than 150 million dollars, and we’ll do it splendidly,” Livne told reporters.
The election marks Israel’s first electoral contest since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. It is being held amid major shifts in the country’s political landscape and changes in voter priorities since the 2022 elections.