Israel Votes: Likud Leads as India Pledges Stronger Israel Ties
Israel’s parliamentary election is under way, and India has used the moment to restate its determination to build on its partnership with Jerusalem.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, addressing reporters in New Delhi, said India enjoys good relations with Israel and would deepen them in the coming days. He noted that numerous foreign journalists were reporting on the vote.
Israel went to the polls on Tuesday in its first election since the October 2023 Hamas attack. Voter priorities and the political mood have changed notably since the 2022 contest.
Partial results released by Wednesday afternoon showed Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud leading. Local media reports said 84.5 percent of the votes had been tallied.
Indicative figures from the Central Elections Committee suggested 54 seats for Netanyahu’s bloc and 49 for the opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party. Seats held by the Joint List and Ram factions, which largely represent the Arab community, were projected to fall to 17 in total.
One Israeli citizen said the outcome was too close to call and voiced hope that the country would remain peaceful and united. Speaking to a news agency, he praised Indian people and Prime Minister Modi, saying Netanyahu’s old-style politics did not suit him. He said Israelis wanted fresh thinking and new energy, and closed with “Namaste, Jai Shri Ram.”
Another citizen argued in favour of Netanyahu’s comeback, stressing that the country needs leadership that understands security dangers. He said he did not expect such high Arab turnout and that security dominated the campaign.
Speaking from the Nova site, where 378 people were brutally killed while celebrating life, he said Israel needed leaders who understood who the enemy was and how it thought. He accused Israel’s opponents of being raised for violence and claimed that Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf’ can be found among them. He added that Netanyahu, in his view, was the leader best placed to keep the country safe.