INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fighting to hold on to power, as voters go to the polls in one of its closest election races
in years.He called the snap election after failing to form a governing coalition in the wake of an election in April.Polls forecast his
right-wing Likud party to tie with its main challenger, the centrist Blue and White party led by former military chief Benny Gantz.Smaller
parties could therefore have a big say in the final outcome.Negotiations on the formation of a new coalition are expected to start as soon
as voting ends at 22:00 (19:00 GMT) and exit polls are published.What happened last time?Likud and Blue and White came away with 35 seats
each in the 120-seat Knesset.Mr Netanyahu declared victory and it appeared that he would be able to secure a majority with the backing of
smaller right-wing and religious parties
But after several chaotic weeks the attempted coalition-building collapsed into recriminations.On the surface was a dispute over Israel's
secular versus its religious character, says the BBC's Tom Bateman in Jerusalem.But ultimately, our correspondent adds, Mr Netanyahu's
problems stemmed from a narrowing range of options to build a governing bloc, weakened as he is by the charges of bribery, fraud and breach
of trust he faces in three corruption cases, pending a final hearing.Mr Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing
He refuses to rule out seeking parliamentary immunity should he stay in power.What is Netanyahu's pitch to voters this time?Throughout the
campaign Mr Netanyahu, the longest serving prime minister, has made ever more strident appeals to the right wing as he seeks a record fifth
term.Last week, Mr Netanyahu declared he would "apply Israeli sovereignty" in the Jordan Valley if he won
The announcement amounted to a promise to effectively annex 30% of the occupied West Bank, which Palestinians want to be part of a future
state.Amid international condemnation, the Palestinian leadership called the move a war crime which would bury any prospects for peace.Mr
Netanyahu also reiterated a pledge from the last election to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank
The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu votes with his
wife, Sara"We find ourselves at the high point of an historic change in the history of the Jewish people and the State of Israel," Mr
Netanyahu wrote in the Hebrew-language daily newspaper Maariv on Monday."I am asking now for your confidence in order to complete the
historic task and fortify the State of Israel's borders and security forever."US President Donald Trump's long-awaited plan for a peace
agreement between Israelis and Palestinians is expected to be published soon after the election.What has Benny Gantz promised?Mr Netanyahu
faces an emergent centrist alliance studded with retired generals, who say they will end Israel's increasing divisions
Blue and White was founded in February by Mr Gantz and Yair Lapid, a former finance minister and leader of the Yesh Atid party.Writing in
the Maariv, Mr Gantz said a victory for Blue and White would "change the direction of the ship of state of Israeli democracy".Blue and
White's Benny Gantz voting in the election"No more instigating rifts in an attempt to divide and conquer, but rather quick action to form a
unity government," he wrote
"No looking out for the interests of pressure groups, but rather a government that looks out for the majority of Israeli citizens."It is not
clear where Mr Gantz stands on Mr Netanyahu's plan to annex Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley
He has not said whether or not he accepts the idea of a Palestinian state, although he rejects withdrawing from all of the West Bank.Why
could smaller parties be key?The final polls suggested no clear route to government for either Mr Netanyahu or Mr Gantz.At total of 30
parties, with a wide range of policies, are contesting the election, but only a third of them are expected to pass the 3.25% threshold for
entering parliament.Avigdor Lieberman, an ally-turned-rival of the prime minister and leader of the right-wing secular Yisrael Beiteinu
party, could end up holding the balance of power.He prevented Mr Netanyahu from forming a coalition after the last election because he
refused to back down in a longstanding dispute with religious parties over a bill governing exemptions from military service for
ultra-Orthodox young men.Mr Lieberman has said the only way he will help return Mr Netanyahu to office is if Likud agrees to a secular unity
government and shares power with Blue and White - something the prime minister has ruled out.President Reuven Rivlin asks the party leader
most likely to put together a coalition of more than 60 members of parliament to form a government.That leader has 28 days to do so, with a
possible extension of not more than 14 days
If that attempt to form a government fails, Mr Rivlin can ask the leader of another party to try.After April's election, Mr Netanyahu's
attempts to form a new government failed and he ran out of time in May
He pressed for new elections and Israeli MPs voted by a significant margin in favour of a new poll.
Israel's election: The most important
things to know17 September 2019Share this with Facebook Share this with Messenger Share this with Twitter Share this with Email ShareRelated
TopicsIsrael elections 2019Image copyrightAFPIsraelis are going to the polls on Tuesday for a second general election in just five months
What happens matters not only in Israel but also beyond.
Here are five of the most important things to know.
The winner will lead a
regional superpowerIsrael has the strongest military in the Middle East (and is widely believed to have a nuclear arsenal), and the prime
minister decides when to send it into action.
Although the country is not fighting any full-scale wars at the moment, there is the
ever-present danger that fresh conflict will erupt with its regional foes.
Image copyrightAFPThe two main contenders for the premiership
have both positioned themselves as tough on security - the incumbent, Benjamin Netanyahu, has followed a strategy of air strikes and covert
action against threats from neighbouring countries, while his most prominent challenger, Benny Gantz, is a former military chief on whose
watch many such operations were carried out.
Jeremy Bowen: Election a referendum on NetanyahuWhoever wins will have to decide how to deal
with the biggest dangers - the growing presence on Israel's borders of forces backed by Iran, Israel's arch-enemy, and a belief that Iran
wants to develop a nuclear bomb - and whether to risk a war whose consequences, observers have warned, will be catastrophic.
It will affect
the future of the PalestiniansThe fate of the Palestinians depends on who is in power in Israel, since Israel occupies land which they seek
for a state of their own.
Mr Netanyahu says he will never agree to a sovereign Palestinian state with powers like any other country
(something which he says will be a serious threat to Israel).
He has also pledged to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank, and a
swathe of land known as the Jordan Valley (which comprises about 30% of the West Bank)
Because they are built on occupied territory, the settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes
this.
Media captionIs Palestinian-Israel peace plan out of reach?The Palestinians, who want the settlements removed, say such a move
would make a Palestinian state impossible and kill the peace process once and for all.
Israel and the Palestinians: What are alternatives
to a two-state solution?Who is Netanyahu's challenger?Netanyahu: Commando turned PMIt is less clear where Benny Gantz stands on the issue
He has not said whether or not he accepts the idea of a Palestinian state, although, like Mr Netanyahu, he rejects withdrawing from all of
the occupied West Bank and has also said he will not divide Jerusalem, whose eastern part Palestinians want to be the capital of a future
state.
While Mr Netanyahu is politically right wing and ideologically driven by Jewish claims to the land based on the Bible, Mr Gantz is
considered more centrist and moderate.
The outcome won't be decided on election nightThis may sound paradoxical but Israel's political
system - a form of proportional representation - means it is as much about political bargaining after an election than it is to do with the
poll itself.
Image copyrightAFPIsrael has always been governed by coalitions of right-wing or left-wing blocs (or occasionally governments
of national unity) - so the outcome of an election depends on what smaller parties demand from the winner (such as ministerial positions or
budget pledges) in return for their support.
Sometimes even a candidate whose party wins the most votes on the night does not become the
prime minister if they cannot form a majority coalition comprising at least 61 seats in parliament.
They have several weeks to try to do
this after the election - and if they cannot manage it, the president can nominate another candidate for prime minister (in 2009, Mr
Netanyahu's Likud party came second but he ended up re-appointed as PM)
In April's election, Mr Netanyahu won the most votes but failed to form a coalition, which is he why he called a snap poll for 17
September.
Voters don't care about what you might expectPolls show that the cost of living is more of a priority to Israelis than solving
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Security is also high on their agenda.
Perhaps surprisingly to outsiders, corruption allegations against Prime Minister Netanyahu, who
could be charged in the near future, are not particularly bothering voters, especially anyone right of centre.
Image copyrightGETTY
IMAGESHowever, the fear (notably among left-wing voters) that Israeli democracy is under threat has grown amid concerns over expectations
that Mr Netanyahu will seek coalition agreement about legislation providing immunity from prosecution while he is in office and planned
reforms that would allow governments to overrule Supreme Court rulings (seen by critics as another way to keep Mr Netanyahu safe).
One
major issue which cuts across right-left political boundaries is that of conscripting more ultra-Orthodox Jews - who are currently exempted
from the draft - into the military.
Failure to agree on this was among factors that led to the collapse of Mr Netanyahu's coalition in
December 2018, triggering April's election
The same issue also brought an end to the negotiations to form a new coalition, precipitating this poll.
Keep your eye on these twoAside
from Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gantz, there are two other key figures who could make a big difference to what happens next.
Image
copyrightAFP/REUTERSAvigdor Lieberman - An ally-turned-rival of the prime minister, Mr Lieberman leads the right-wing secular Yisrael
Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) party.
His withdrawal from Mr Netanyahu's coalition in November 2018 (he considered the PM too weak in dealing
with militants in Gaza) left the prime minister with a majority of one
The following month, the coalition collapsed
If his party performs as well as polls predict, Mr Lieberman could hold the balance of power.
However, he has said the only way he will
help return Mr Netanyahu to office is if he agrees to a government of national unity and shares power with Benny Gantz's Blue and White
party - something the prime minister has ruled out.
Ayelet Shaked - Mr Netanyahu's former justice minister is the leader of the religious
nationalist Yamina (Rightwards) alliance
The grouping's performance will be crucial to Mr Netanyahu's ability to put together a governing coalition.
Although Ms Shaked is also a
rival of Mr Netanyahu, she has said she will support him in forming a right-wing government
Whether this will be sufficient to remove Yisrael Beiteinu's ability to make or break a Netanyahu-led coalition remains to be
seen.
Politically hard-right, Ayelet Shaked advocates annexing those parts of the occupied West Bank placed under interim Israeli control
in past peace deals with the Palestinians, and says that if Mr Netanyahu forms the next ruling coalition, she will make sure he follows
through on his pledge to do it.
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TVMore sectionsWorldselectedAfricaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastselectedUS - CanadaIsrael election a referendum on NetanyahuBy
Jeremy BowenBBC Middle East editor16 September 2019Share this with Facebook Share this with Messenger Share this with Twitter Share this
with Email ShareRelated TopicsIsrael elections 2019Image copyrightAFPImage captionBenjamin Netanyahu is Israel's longest-serving prime
ministerEverything is very close in this troubled land
Travelling around and across land that has been fought over doesn't take long
Enemies, resentment, hopes and disappointment are never far away.
I took a drive down the Jordan Valley
It runs between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, mostly sandy and rocky desert
It is the deepest valley in the world, going down to 1,300 feet (400m) below sea level
The domes of the monastery of the Temptation, built into the cliffs stare down on Jericho, the Palestinian city that claims to be the oldest
Christians believe Satan appeared somewhere near here to Jesus, tempting him during his 40 days and nights of fasting.
The southern end of
the valley, where I am, has been occupied by Israel since 1967, a big part of the land it captured in that year's Middle East War
Usually
the valley is a sleepy place
But Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed it into his country's general election, which is coming up this Tuesday
He declared that if he was returned as prime minister, he would annex the Jordan Valley, and Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank
The suggestion has been condemned by many of Israel's friends, including Britain, on the grounds that it would be yet another nail in the
coffin containing hopes for peace
Israel would have absorbed land Palestinians want for a state.
Mr Netanyahu has said similar things before
Perhaps he won't keep his promise if he wins
Perhaps he will.
He's offering Israeli right-wingers a tasty electoral inducement to vote for him
The election will be close.
More than anything else, it is a referendum on Mr Netanyahu, who has overtaken Israel's founding father David
Ben Gurion as its longest-serving prime minister.
Israel: A quick guideCan Jewish settlement issue be resolved?Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu:
Commando turned PMIn Jerusalem, I went to an ultra-Orthodox rally
I headed for one of the religious neighbourhoods of the city
Thousands of men in black coats and hats, beards and skullcaps jammed into a closed-off major city highway
They were there to declare support for a coalition of religious parties, who are staunch supporters of Mr Netanyahu
He needs their support to form a new government.
Israel's electoral system always produces coalitions
Would-be prime ministers need to add their own party's seats to those of smaller parties who exact a price for giving their support
The ultra-Orthodox have been staunch supporters of Mr Netanyahu
Without their seats, he would not be able to form a government.
Israel is a strong country
Its achievements are remarkable
But it also has a streak of insecurity, understandable given the history of the Jews and of the Israeli state
Mr Netanyahu plays on those fears
His campaign has majored on Israel's enemies in Iran, Syria and Lebanon.
His message, repeated time after time, is that the Middle East is
a tough neighbourhood and he is the only politician who can keep Israelis safe
Election posters show him with US President Donald Trump, both men smiling, suggesting a unique partnership that only Mr Netanyahu can
maintain.
His main rival is a centre-left coalition, called Blue and White, led by a retired general, Benny Gantz, and Yair Lapid, a TV
personality turned politician
General Gantz says he can restore honour to the premiership
Mr Netanyahu faces serious corruption charges, which he denies
His opponents say he has divided and cheapened Israel.
On polling day, it might come down to turnout
Israelis get election days off - and it's perfect beach weather.
