‘Time to switch out the king’: Israeli voters disenchanted with Netanyahu

Incumbent prime minister may have gone into this election all guns blazing, but some Israeli voters remain unconvinced

The unifying cry across the leaflet-strewn polling stations of Israel, a country deeply divided, was “please - no more elections”.

From leftists on the beach front of Tel Aviv to hard-right voters in Israeli settlements, no one could see the point in the country heading to the polls for the second time in less than six months.

All were also horrified at the possibility of yet another round of voting, as opinion polls released over the weekend predicted that once again there would be no outright winner sparking fears of a third election.

Many of those who spoke to The Independent blamed the incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is the country’s longest serving premier and despite winning the last elections in April, failed to form a ruling coalition.

And so the break in the deja-vu of the last elections was that while many supporters of Mr Netanyahu and his Likud party agreed he would likely scrape a win this time, they felt increasingly disenchanted by the man they once called the “magician”.

“I voted for Bibi today, and I voted for him last time and I will vote for him again and again and again,” said Raphael, 39, a security contractor and a long-term Likud voter in Pisgat Zeev, an Israeli settlement in East Jerusalem.

“But these elections are colossal waste of money and the polls say it’s the same story as it was six months ago.”

“For sure Netanyahu’s popularity has waned in Israel because he just couldn’t form a government last time, and people worry that will happen again,” he added.

His wife, Oshrat, 39, who in the past voted Likud, agreed. This time, she voted for centrist Gesher party “to see change”.

“1 billion shekels were spent on this election. A billion. And for what? The politicians try to sell us nothing," she told The Independent.

“Bibi is not royalty, it’s time for a change,” she added.

In April Mr Netanyahu, campaigning under the shadow of indictment on corruption charges, attempted to form a right-wing coalition government but was scuppered in the eleventh hour by his former defence minister Avigdor Lieberman.

Mr Lieberman heads the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party and refused to lend his five seats to Mr Netanyahu’s coalition, leaving the embattled premier several seats short of the 61 needed to form a majority.

It might be the end of Netanyahu, it feels like he might be holding the party back. He seems to be the sticking point in negotiations with other parties

Daniel Katz, Israeli voter

Other parties also refused to join citing Mr Netanyahu’s likely indictment on graft charges.

This round, Mr Lieberman’s party is expected to nearly double their seats but has preliminarily promised to join forces with centrist Blue and White party, which is headed by Israel’s ex-army chief Benny Gantz, Mr Netanyahu’s chief rival.

It could once again cost Mr Netanyahu his crown.

The last polls published over the weekend showed Mr Netanyahu neck and neck with Mr Gantz, with both their parties securing around 32 seats.

They also predicted, without Mr Lieberman neither Mr Netanyahu’s right-wing block nor Mr Gantz’s centre-left allies will be able to secure enough seats together to form a ruling government.

And while the polls in Israel are notoriously wrong, in the last week a frenzied Mr Netanyahu has taken no chances.

Feeling the heat, and that his career may be on the line, he stormed into the elections with all guns blazing.

In seven days, he promised to annex all Israeli settlements in the West Bank if he is re-elected, he mulled a defence treaty with President Trump, he visited Russia to see President Putin and he even, according to Israeli media, very nearly launched a military operation in Gaza.

He also agreed to a slew of media interviews, and on elections day released a steady flow of videos and messages warning that the Arab voter turnout was soaring and that the Left would be sure to win.

“We are in the closest fight ever with… Gantz,“ he warned on Twitter as the day was drawing to a close.

“Only you will decide whether a strong right-wing government will be formed under my leadership or a weak left-wing government led by Lapid-Gantz with the Arab parties.”

But even these tried and tested method failed to impress his usual support base.

In Mea Shearim, an ultra-orthdox neighbourhood which usually votes for the religious parties but is also fiercely loyal to Mr Netanyahu, there was change in the air.

Many agreed that while the Likud would likely win and there were few alternatives to Mr Netanyahu as prime minister, he was also losing support.

"It might be the end of Netanyahu, it feels like he might be holding the party back. He seems to be the sticking point in negotiations with other parties," said Daniel Katz, 33, a software developer voting for the ultraorthodox United Judaism Torah party."

“The Likud has other people,” he added trailing off.

Bibi is not royalty, it’s time for a change

Oshrat Zeev, Israeli voter 

Michael, 60, who said he is voting for hard-right Jewish Power party, agreed. Jewish Power is also likely to form a coalition with Likud.

“The right will win but who exactly that will be is still up in the air - this election is much more ambiguous,” he told The Independent.

“Netanyahu is regarded differently now, because of this election. There is a great deal of apathy from people because the fundamental issues which prevented the formation of a government last time haven’t disappeared."

In Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial capital, there was little love for Mr Netanyahu from leftist, centrist and Arab-Israeli voters, who were divided on whether the decline in his popularity would see their camp win.

“The most important thing is to switch out the king,” said Iftah Gorali, a Blue and White voter, referencing Mr Netanyahu’s nickname.

"The king is stuck in his place, we need to get rid of him, and our best chance is through Blue and White. I’m more realistic than optimistic. There's always a chance,” he added.

In the Arab neighbourhood of Jaffa, Eliran Ben Iolo, 32, another Blue and White supporter, agreed: "It feels like it’ll work, because Bibi’s already lost it. Now you see he’s throwing all kinds of punches, not smartly and not with any kind of understanding.”

But David Horowitz, 64, who was voting for the leftist Democratic Union, said he feared a “third election”.

Sami Haj, 21, who was undecided on who to vote for, was even less hopeful.

“It doesn't matter [who you vote], it will be Bibi or no one. Every year it only gets worse.”