Israel on Tuesday morning started day-long general elections across the country to choose its next parliament and decide the premiership.

 

本周二上午，以色列全国开始为期一天的大选，本次大选将选出下一届议会和总理。

 

Voting started at 7 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) at 10,720 polling stations across the country and is due to end at 10 p.m. (1900 GMT) in the closely-fought elections mainly between long-serving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and ex-army chief Benny Gantz's newly formed party.

 

According to Israel's Central Election Committee, about 6.34 million Israeli citizens are eligible¹ to vote.

 

More than 40 parties are vying² for the 120 seats in the one-chamber Knesset (parliament). Recent opinion polls show a tight race between Gantz's centrist Blue and White with about 30 seats and Netanyahu's rightwing Likud with some 28 seats.

 

Adam Cohen, 43, told Xinhua on Tuesday morning at a polling station in Tel Aviv that he had voted for the Blue and White.

 

He said that for him, the most important thing was to replace Netanyahu because of a series of corruption³ cases that he has been entangled⁴ with.

 

In February, Israel's attorney general said he intended to indict⁵ Netanyahu in three separate cases of bribery⁶, fraud, and breach⁷ of trust.

 

He said he hoped the new leadership could bring peace and welfare to Israel.

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