Israel: Legislative elections slated to be held April 9

Event

Israel will hold legislative elections on Tuesday, April 9. Over 40 parties will compete for the 120 seats in Knesset (Israel's parliament) with 3.25 percent of the votes being required to break the electoral threshold to earn the minimum four seats in parliament. According to the latest polls, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party is likely to emerge as the largest single party and will likely have form a coalition allowing him to form the next government.

Election day is a national holiday in Israel and business and governmental disruptions are expected nationwide. Political rallies and protests are possible following the result of the election; a heightened security presence and localized traffic disruptions are to be anticipated near all such demonstrations.

Context

Netanyahu is seeking his fourth consecutive term as prime minister in the April 9 elections but is facing close competition from the new Blue and White party led by former Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Benny Gantz.

Some of Israel's Arab voters have called for a boycott of the parliamentary elections to denounce the 2018 Basic Law: Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People, or "Nation-State Bill," which some critics claim undermines the democratic character of the state and rights of non-Jewish minority residents.

Advice

Individuals in Israel are advised to monitor the situation, avoid public political demonstrations due to the risk of violence, anticipate localized disruptions on April 9, and adhere to all instructions issued by local authorities and their home governments.