Elections

First Hearings Begin in Beit Shemesh Election Case

Mayor Moshe Abutbul declares victory before walking into courtroom; prosecution admits 'fraudulent tactics' but not specific involvement.

Voters Could Get Day Off for Local Elections

Lawmakers are calling for legislation that will turn Election Day for local contests into an official day off.

MK Claims Anti-Hareidi Bias Over Calls for Election Recount

MK Gafni says pressure for a recount or repeat of Beit Shemesh elections is “anti-democratic," wouldn't happen if mayor wasn't hareidi.

Candidates Wait for Results, Close Races Expected

Votes being counted across the country. Huldai, Barkat worried over low turnout. Exit poll shows Yahav victory in Haifa.

Polling Stations Close, Counting Begins

Voter turn out recorded at 42.63% across the country for municipal elections,

Prisoners Demand Right to Vote in Local Elections

Prisoners in Israeli jails are not eligible to vote in local elections, but 2 prisoners have filed a petition to change that.

Barkat: I Am Not a Leftist

Speaking to Arutz Sheva, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat sought to dispel rumors of a political pact with the far-left.

Hareidi Mayoral Candidate Promises to Keep Jews Off Temple Mount

Hareidi J'lem mayoral candidate Haim Epstein appeals to Arabs by promising to prevent Jews from praying on Judaism's holiest site.

Uproar as Knesset Votes to Alter Form of Government

Bill passed on initial reading would limit number of ministers, block smaller parties, and make it harder to topple government.

Danon, Likud 'Rebels' Poised to Seize Key Positions

Concessions to Palestinians will be less likely after today's vote for party institutions, say analysts.

Poll: Labor Up, Likud Down Drastically

Likud, with Yisrael Beytenu, drops 5 seats to an abysmal 26. Labor is at 21 seats.

Helicopter Carrying Iran's Ahmadinejad Makes Emergency Landing

A helicopter carrying Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made an emergency landing Sunday after it malfunctioned.

Iranian Presidential Candidates Implicated in Murdering Jews

Jewish group outraged that among candidates to run in Iranian Presidential elections are two implicated in AMIA Jewish Center bombing.

Bulgarian 'Ataka' Party Follows Neo-Nazi Global Trends

Bulgarian 'Ataka' party follows neo-Nazi tides, gaining sizable portion of popular vote in country's parliamentary elections.

Ahmadinejad Could Face Up to 74 Lashes Over Election 'Violation'

Iranian president Ahmadinejad may face charges of up to 74 lashes for openly endorsing candidacy of his top adviser in upcoming elections.

Hamas Ready to Implement Reconciliation 'Word for Word'

Hamas says it is eager to sign a reconciliation deal with rival faction Fatah.

Coalition Agreement: Up Knesset Threshold to 4%

Likud, Yesh Atid and Bayit Yehudi argue final coalition issue, agree to raise Knesset threshold.

Poll: Likud Would Lose Repeat Vote

New elections would be bad for Likud, good for Yesh Atid and Bayit Yehudi.

Report: Netanyahu Planning New Construction Freeze

PM Netanyahu, upset with residents of Judea & Samaria for not voting Likud, is reportedly planning to impose a new construction freeze.

Netanyahu: System of Government Needs Major Reform

Netanyahu calls for reforms to stabilize government, tells MKs to unite “in times of trial.”

Counting Votes: Why Small Parties are Worried

How Israel counts its votes, and why small parties fear high turnout will leave them outside Knesset.

Poll: Strong Parties Drop, Small Parties Rise

The latest pre-elections poll finds Likud, Labor and Jewish Home losing votes as Yesh Atid, Meretz and Otzma Leyisrael rise.

Hareidi MK: Kadima Incitement Could End in Murder

Hareidi MK worries that a new Kadima party slogan comparing soldiers, Torah scholars will end in violence.

Poll Shows Younger Voters Back Jewish Home

The renewed Jewish Home party, running with the National Union, draws younger voters, many of them secular, a new poll shows.

Deri to Netanyahu: Show Us the Budget Cuts

Shas’ Aryeh Deri urges Netanyahu to reveal planned spending cuts before elections so voters can have a say.

Poll Predicts Bayit Yehudi Will be Third Largest Party

If elections were held today, Naftali Bennett's party will win 12 seats and be the Knesset's third largest party, finds Channel 2 poll.

Nationalist Camp Split: Good for the Right

MK Aryeh Eldad explains why the breakaway party Otzma L'Yisrael is good for the Israeli right.

New Poll Shows Likud-Beyteinu Still Far Ahead, Kadima Near Dead

A new poll shows that if elections were held now, the combined Likud-Yisrael Beiteinu list would gain 39 seats, far ahead of competitors

Ben-Ari's Campaign Invalidated for 'Racism'

Central Election Committee chairman says Power to Israel's campaign in Arabic insults the Arab population in Israel.

Video: MK Eldad Says Send Infiltrators Back where They Came From

The new Otzma party headed by MK Aryeh Eldad wants a law requiring all illegal infiltrators to be “sent back where they came from.”

'Game Over' for the Left

Poll Shows Opposition Ripping Itself to Pieces

The ultra left-wing Haaretz newspaper has given up on defeating Netanyahu. “Game Over. Center-left is a fragmented mess.”

Expulsion-Backer Livni: Bibi Strengthens Hamas

Tzipi Livni, who backed the expulsion of Jews from Gaza in 2005, now blames Netanyahu for negotiating with Hamas.

Peretz: Livni Party Won't Join Netanyahu Government

Tzipi Livni’s new party will not be a part of a government led by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, says new member Amir Peretz.

Breakdown of Left ‘Embarrassing to Watch’

Likud MK ‘embarrassed’ by breakdown, Labor newcomer unconcerned.

Political Left Down to 34 Seats

A new poll shows the left wing failing to win voter support while religious parties grow.

Yechimovich and Livni Trade Barbs Over Peretz

Labor chairwoman Shelly Yechimovich says the public is "overwhelmed by the moral low" in Peretz's defection to Livni.

Former IDF General Given 4th Spot on Livni List

Gen. (Res.) Elazar Stern has been placed in the number 4 spot on the Livni party's Knesset list.

Dying Kadima Party to Finish Selecting Knesset List

MKs Bar-On, Plesner, Hasson and Itzik expected to follow Mofaz on Kadima list, though Bar-On may retire from politics.

Yisrael Beytenu: Who's In, Who's Out?

Son of former Prime Minister placed in #2 spot on Yisrael Beytenu's Knesset list. Several MKs pushed out.

UTJ Finalizes Knesset List

On the eve of the deadline for political parties to present their lists to the Knesset, United Torah Jewry finalized its list of candidates

Outspoken MK Michaeli Won't Run for 'Personal Reasons'

Yisrael Beytenu MK who threw water on Arab MK, raising Lieberman's ire, announces she won't run in the elections.

Merger Between Jewish Home, Tekuma Approved

The central conference of the Habayit Hayehudi (Jewish Home) party approves the agreement that merges the party with Tekuma.

Former Labor Chairman to Run with Livni

Former Labor chairman Amram Mitzna to announce on Sunday that he is running with Tzipi Livni as her number two.

Labor's #5 Called for Refusal to Serve in Military

Merav Michaeli called on mothers not to send their sons to serve in the IDF. She also sees danger in double beds.

Labor List Criticized as ‘Extreme Left’

The Labor list is already being criticized from the right and center as “extreme,” poor challenger to Netanyahu.

Jewish Home, Tekuma Merge

The two religious-Zionist parties agreed to run in a joint list, and chose the first 15 names.

Livni a 'Gift' for Netanyahu

Livni's 'Divide and Lose' Strategy a Gift for Netanyahu

Tzipi Livni has unwittingly carried out a “divide and lose” strategy that allows Netanyahu to easily conquer the left, a new poll shows.

Seven MKs to Leave Kadima, Join Livni

Seven MKs join Livni’s new party despite leftist anger, accusations of “ego politics.”

Report: Amnon Yitzchak to Head New Party, Will Run in Election

To the panoply of religious parties in Israel, add a new one to be headed by Rabbi Amnon Yitzchak.

Analysis: Barak Exits the Left’s House of Cards

Ehud Barak is not stupid. He sees the handwriting on the wall and it reads “nationalist.” The left’s house of cards is collapsing.

A Gift for Nationalists

Barak Quits Politics

Defense Minister Ehud Barak is quitting politics. In a dramatic announcement, he claimed successes as Defense Minister.

Computer Election Day Bugs Give Likud Black Eye

Netanyahu urges Likud members to go to the polls to nominate Likud MKs, but colossal foul-ups leave long lines of frustrated Likudniks.

Olmert to Livni: Let's Run Together

Tzipi Livni is expected to meet Sunday with former PM Ehud Olmert and discuss with him the possibility of their running together.

Poll: Bibi, Lieberman Still Ahead

The Pillar of Defense operation and subsequent ceasefire with Hamas did not hurt Bibi in the polls.

Poll: Nationalist Camp Gains Strength

Israel’s nationalist parties could win 66 seats in the next election, new poll finds.

National Union Elects Knesset List

Members of the Tekuma Central Committee choose the party’s list for the upcoming Knesset elections. MK Uri Ariel will head the list.

Noam Shalit Stomps on 'Bad' Government that Freed His Son

A fight broke out on Facebook this week when Attorney Yossi Fuchs criticized Noam Shalit. 'He should be grateful.'

Olmert Will Return and be Prime Minister, Says His Friend

Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will announce his return to politics within days, the mayor of the city of Akko predicts.

Meretz's Current MKs Top List for Knesset

After primaries, currently serving MKs Galon, Gilon and Horowitz top Meretz's list for the next Knesset.

Bennett in Post-Election Interview: Onward to Unity

Naftali Bennett shares his goals for religious-Zionist politics, including his social platform and the candidates he most supports.