Election-weary Israelis will go to the polls on Tuesday, the fifth in less than four years, in which former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will try to stage a comeback, amidst indications that the outcome this time too is too close to call.
The prospect of the next government hinges around 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 looking to make a comeback which would largely depend on both these factors.
Israel has a parliamentary system made up of several parties – none of which have ever received enough votes on their own to secure a majority of seats in the 120-member parliament. That means parties must team up to form coalitions and reach the 61 seats needed to form a ruling government.
The last four elections in Israel ended in an indecisive mandate, at times alliances falling short by just one vote in the Knesset. The results of Tuesday's vote is expected to be out by Wednesday.
It will be the first time since 2009 when Netanyahu will be running into the polls not as the prime minister.
He hopes that the anti-incumbency factor also boosts his prospects of a return given that the loosely garnered alliance of ideologically divergent political parties, built around opposition to his political leadership, failed to survive for long.
Netanyahu has left no stone unturned to ensure that right-wing votes "do not go waste" as per Israeli election laws where political parties have to cross the 3.25 per cent votes threshold, even personally getting involved in closing 'deals' between warring right-wing factions over seat allotment.