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Subscribe to RSSJERUSALEM - Israelis voted on Tuesday in an election that is expected to see Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu win a third term in office, pushing the Jewish state further to the right, away from peace with the Palestinians and toward a showdown with Iran.
However, Netanyahu's own Likud party, running alongside the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu group, looks set to have fewer seats than in the previous parliament, with opinion polls showing a surge in support for the far-right Jewish Home party.
Political sources said Netanyahu, concerned by his apparent fall in popularity, might approach center-left parties after the vote in an effort to broaden his coalition and present a more moderate face to Washington and other concerned allies.
"We want Israel to succeed, we vote Likud-Beitenu ... The bigger it is, the more Israel will succeed," Netanyahu said after casting his ballot alongside his wife and two sons.
Some 5.66 million Israelis are eligible to vote, with polling stations closing at 10 p.m. (3 p.m. ET).
Full results are due by Wednesday morning, opening the way for coalition talks that could take several weeks.
The lackluster election campaign failed to focus on any single issue and with a Netanyahu victory predicted by every opinion poll, the two main political blocs seemed to spend more time on internal feuding than confronting each other.
No Israeli party has ever secured an absolute majority, meaning that Netanyahu, who says that dealing with Iran's nuclear ambitions is his top priority, will have to bring various allies onboard to control the 120-seat Knesset.
The former commando has traditionally looked to religious, conservative parties for backing and is widely expected to seek out the surprise star of the campaign, self-made millionaire Naftali Bennett who heads the Jewish Home party.
Bennett has ruled out any peace pact with the Palestinians and calls for the annexation of much of the occupied West Bank.
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Netanyahu is a tough realist who has seen through the folly of land-for-peace diplomacy. As long as the Arabs teach their children that all of Israel is occupied Palestine, there can be no lasting peace. Israel must go about its business of building a strong, modern democracy in the midst of authoritarian regimes leading backward nations.
Netanyahu is geoge bush with a kippa on his head. Using fear to get elected. Iran the boogy man blaa blaa blaa. Just like America's false boggie man Osama. But Iran wants to wipe Israel off the map, blaa blaa blaa. They, the US and Isreal been running with this same line of crap for years now. A largely rhetorical statement that has been exploited by the likes of US military complex, politicians, and of course Nutinyahoo. Israel has has the technology to knock every katusha rocket out of the sky, but would rather have them fall on the population of isreal for political, and geopolitical objectives. And the stupid people of America and Israel fall for it every time. Fear rules you, but even worse is fear mongers rule you.