“Israeli” Opposition Calls for Mass Turnout to End Netanyahu’s Rule

By Staff, Agencies

Opposition leaders in “Israel” on Tuesday urged voters to participate in large numbers in the parliamentary elections, calling for an end to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rule and a change in the country’s political leadership.

Voting began at 7 am local time [0500 GMT] and is scheduled to continue until 10 pm [2000 GMT].

Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the opposition “Yisrael Beiteinu” party and a former war minister, called on voters to use their ballots to bring Netanyahu’s political era to an end.

“Vote. Let’s put an end to the Netanyahu era and the rule of the Haredim,” Lieberman wrote on X, referring to ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups.

Netanyahu has led “Israel’s” right-wing government since late December 2022. His administration has been widely described as the most far-right government in the country’s history.

Meanwhile, Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the opposition “Yashar” party and a former army chief, argued that replacing Netanyahu depended on his party becoming the largest political force in the Knesset.

“There is only one path to achieving change and replacing Netanyahu, and that is the ‘Yashar’ path,” Eisenkot wrote on X, urging voters to support his party to bring about political change.

Both Eisenkot and Netanyahu oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state, despite UN resolutions supporting the so-called two-state solution.

Separately, Gilad Kariv, a lawmaker from the opposition Democrats party, urged the public to take part in the elections, describing the vote as an opportunity to change the country’s political direction.

“Today, we are taking the struggle we have waged over the past four years to the ballot box,” Kariv wrote on X, adding that Election Day marked “the beginning of four years of hope.”

Kariv also warned that Netanyahu and his allies could attempt to undermine confidence in the electoral process by circulating misinformation.

“In the coming hours, Netanyahu and his associates will flood you with fake news and misleading messages in an attempt to undermine the elections by spreading lies and illusions,” he said.

“Our response must be a massive turnout at the polls,” he added.

The elections are considered a pivotal moment for Netanyahu’s political future. The 76-year-old prime minister is standing trial on corruption charges, including bribery, fraud and breach of trust, which could result in imprisonment if he is convicted.

Netanyahu has also been the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court [ICC] since November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with “Israel’s” military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

More than 74,000 Palestinians have been martyred in Gaza since October 2023, according to the figures cited in the report, amid the devastating consequences of the ongoing conflict.