Israelis began voting on Tuesday in the general elections, the fifth in less than four years, to break political stalemate that has paralysed the country.
Polling booths opened at 7 am local time. Results are not expected until Wednesday. The process of forming the government could drag on for weeks.
About 6.78 million eligible Israeli citizens will elect their 25th Knesset (Israeli Parliament). Opinion polls predict an incredibly close race with mostly predicting another stalemate, but some giving an edge to the right-wing formation led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The prospect of the next government seems to be largely hinging on two factors – the level of right-wing polarisation, not necessarily in favour of veteran politician Netanyahu but for him to lead the coalition, and the extent of voter apathy, surprisingly, in the Arab sector.
Netanyahu, 73, Israel's longest-serving prime minister and among one of the most polarising ones whose leadership plagued by charges of graft has been at the centre of current instability, is facing a battle of political survival.