Israelis go to the polls on Tuesday in a razor-thin, re-do election that could dramatically reshape Israeli and Palestinian politics going forward.
Will embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pull off another win and then push through legislation to shield himself from looming corruption charges? Or will he be taken down by a hodgepodge of political opponents? Or will the results again be inconclusive and the country, now deeply polarised along internal religious and ideological lines, be asked to vote once again?
For Palestinian citizens of Israel – a fifth of the population – Tuesday’s election is a test of their own political place and power in the country. Mr Netanyahu’s campaign has centred around anti-Arab rhetoric to rally supporters; Arab politicians have in turn urged people to vote in order to oust Mr Netanyahu. But frustrated by racism in Israeli politics and the slow pace of change in Arab parties, many Arab voters say they are likely to sit out the vote.
And for Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank, Mr Netanyahu’s repeated threats to annex parts of the territory – his most recent pledge being to annex a third of it – loom large. But they also worry that no matter who is elected, Israel’s ongoing de-facto annexation of land Palestinians claim will continue.
Adding to the drama, no matter what happens on election day, Israel’s new government and its leader will likely not be set for some time. With no single party expected to reach the required 61 seats to form a government on their own, party leaders will likely spend the next few weeks jockeying over ministerial positions and backdoor deals that in part drive Israel’s coalition-based parliament.
In the meantime, here are the main politicians to watch as the election and its aftermath unfolds:
Benjamin Netanyahu
Mr Netanyahu in July overtook founding father David Ben Gurion as Israel’s longest-serving prime minister. He maintains a strong base of support among right-wing and his Likud party voters, who like his policies and persona of “Mr Security” – the only person who can keep Israel safe.
But others are growing frustrated with the corruption around Mr Netanyahu – he faces indictments on three charges including bribery and breach of trust – as well as the antics and lavish lifestyle of his wife and son, all on taxpayer money. He has further turned off some voters, but gained others, by aligning with ultra-religious and Jewish supremacist parties as part of his game to remain in power.
Mr Netanyahu has in turn cast the accusations against him as a conspiracy led by the media and left, fuelling the country’s polarisation and shift right-ward.
Avigdor Lieberman
It was not long ago that Mr Netanyahu and Avigdor Lieberman were allies; now they are arch enemies and their rift the immediate cause of Israel's re-do elections.
Mr Lieberman, an immigrant from Moldova and former nightclub bouncer, heads the staunchly secular and right-wing Israel Beyteynu (Israel is Our Home) party, which has long been popular among the more than one million Israelis of Russian origin. In April, Mr Lieberman refused to join Mr Netanyahu’s coalition unless the prime minister supported a bill conscripting Ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military. The Ultra-Orthodox parties, a critical part of Mr Netanyahu’s coalition, flatly refused to compromise. Facing an impasse, Mr Netanyahu sided with the Ultra-Orthodox and called for new elections.
Mr Lieberman and Mr Netanyahu still share many similarities: Mr Lieberman lives in an illegal settlement in the West Bank and back in 2009 was the first to capitalise electorally on hate speech against Arabs and Palestinians.
But in this latest election the two men are sparring most directly over how religious the state should be: “Yes to a Jewish state, no to a Halachik (Jewish law) state,” one of Mr Lieberman’s adverts implores. Mr Netanyahu and religious parties have in turn warned that if the prime minister loses, the country will become lost to secular, leftist and Arab leaders.
Benny Gantz
The Labor party was once Israel’s main left of centre party. But as Israel’s politics and demographics have shifted, the centre left has struggled to regain power from Likud. So earlier this year several former army generals and a TV personality joined forces in a new centrist party called Blue and White and led by former army chief of staff Benny Gantz.
In the April elections, Blue and White garnered almost as many votes as Likud. But in this round the party has had a particularly lacklustre campaign, struggling both to define what it believes in besides ousting Mr Netanyahu and to portray political newcomer Mr Gantz as a viable alternative.
While Blue and White has given some Arab voters hope that Mr Netanyahu can be voted out, for others the party led by army generals represents much of the same. After Mr Netanyahu announced his plan to annex the Jordan Valley if re-elected, Blue and White followed up by countering that it was their plan from the start.
Aymen Odeh
There are several scenarios for how Tuesday’s election can play out. In one, Arab parliament member Ayman Odeh could become the leader of the opposition if Likud, possibly without Mr Netanyahu, and Blue and White align and Mr Odeh's Joint Arab List is voted in as the third-largest party.
In a perhaps more likely scenario, if Blue and White does well the Joint List could join Blue and White’s coalition in order to form a government without Likud and Mr Netanyahu.
So far, however, Mr Gantz has ruled out forming a coalition with the Joint List.
And Mr Odeh, who heads the Arab-majority and socialist-leaning Hadash Party, has placed several stipulations on the Joint List joining with Blue and White, among them pledges to cancel the Nation State law, to support a peace plan that ends the occupation, and to create a plan for fighting violence in Arab communities.
Mr Netanyahu has frequently warned of Arab voter fraud aimed at turning the election against him. In the April vote, Likud sent poll watchers armed with cameras to polling stations in Arab communities, which, despite the prime minister’s attempts, has been deemed illegal this time around.
Still, Likud has indicated that they have other voter-intimidation plans set for Arab communities on Tuesday.
For now, Mr Odeh told a recent briefing of the foreign press, his aim is “to do everything to change the government”.
“There’s no doubt that the Arab citizens are a major player in these elections,” he said. “It’s true that he [Mr Netanyahu] incited against Arab citizens but the truth is that he knows that if Arab citizens vote 65 per cent, then he won’t be prime minister anymore.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint
Greenheart Organic Farms
This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.
www.greenheartuae.com
Modibodi
Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.
www.modibodi.ae
The Good Karma Co
From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes.
www.instagram.com/thegoodkarmaco
Re:told
One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.
www.shopretold.com
Lush
Lush provides products such as shampoo and conditioner as package-free bars with reusable tins to store.
www.mena.lush.com
Bubble Bro
Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.
www.bubble-bro.com
Coethical
This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.
www.instagram.com/coethical
Eggs & Soldiers
This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.
www.eggsnsoldiers.com
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Profile box
Founders: Michele Ferrario, Nino Ulsamer and Freddy Lim
Started: established in 2016 and launched in July 2017
Based: Singapore, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
Sector: FinTech, wealth management
Initial investment: $500,000 in seed round 1 in 2016; $2.2m in seed round 2 in 2017; $5m in series A round in 2018; $12m in series B round in 2019; $16m in series C round in 2020 and $25m in series D round in 2021
Current staff: more than 160 employees
Stage: series D
Investors: EightRoads Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Sequoia Capital India
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
SCORES
Multiply Titans 81-2 in 12.1 overs
(Tony de Zorzi, 34)
bt Auckland Aces 80 all out in 16 overs
(Shawn von Borg 4-15, Alfred Mothoa 2-11, Tshepo Moreki 2-16).
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
Squad
Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas)
Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: Eghel De Pine, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Sheaar, Szczepan Mazur, Saeed Al Shamsi
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA) Group 3 Dh500,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Torch, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (TB) Listed Dh380,000 1,600m | Winner: Forjatt, Chris Hayes, Nicholas Bachalard
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 1,400m | Winner: Hawafez, Connor Beasley, Ridha ben Attia
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Qader, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roaulle
Race card
6.30pm: Emirates Holidays Maiden (TB), Dh82,500 (Dirt), 1,900m
7.05pm: Arabian Adventures Maiden (TB), Dh82,500 (D), 1,200m
7.40pm: Emirates Skywards Handicap (TB), Dh82,500 (D), 1,200m
8.15pm: Emirates Airline Conditions (TB), Dh120,000 (D), 1,400m
8.50pm: Emirates Sky Cargo (TB), Dh92,500 (D)1,400m
9.15pm: Emirates.com (TB), Dh95,000 (D), 2,000m
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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UAE SQUAD FOR ASIAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP
Men’s squad: Faisal Al Ketbi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Kathiri, Thiab Al Nuaimi, Khaled Al Shehhi, Mohamed Ali Al Suwaidi, Farraj Khaled Al Awlaqi, Muhammad Al Ameri, Mahdi Al Awlaqi, Saeed Al Qubaisi, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Hazaa Farhan
Women's squad: Hamda Al Shekheili, Shouq Al Dhanhani, Balqis Abdullah, Sharifa Al Namani, Asma Al Hosani, Maitha Sultan, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Maha Al Hanaei, Shamma Al Kalbani, Haya Al Jahuri, Mahra Mahfouz, Marwa Al Hosani, Tasneem Al Jahoori and Maryam Al Amri
'Gehraiyaan'
Director:Shakun Batra
Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa
Rating: 4/5
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
A%20MAN%20FROM%20MOTIHARI
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani