It’s Election Day in Israel

More than 5.6 million Israelis — Jews and Arabs — are expected to go to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots for the 19th Knesset (parliament). Israelis are choosing leaders to handle enormously difficult challenges — the Iranian nuclear threat, the bloody civil war in Syria, the rise of Radical Islamists in Egypt, and the ever-complicated conflict with the Palestinians. Please pray that the Lord would raise up leaders like the sons of Isaachar, “men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” (1 Chronicles 12:32)

Ynet News is reporting that Israelis are voting, and then enjoying a warm sabbatical day of rest. “The celebration of democracy is underway and Israelis are voting en mass: 10,132 ballot boxes are waiting on Tuesday across Israel for 5,656,705 eligible voters to exercise their voting right.”  So far, it has been reported there has been a “particularly high voter turnout compared with the previous four campaigns.”

Additionally, Haaretz reports that “The approximately 10,000 polling stations located in towns, hospitals and prisons around the country will stay open until 10 P.M. in most locales… So far, voter turnout has been very impressive, with over 38.3% of eligible voters casting their ballots as of 2:30 P.M. That figure is much higher than voter turnout at the same hour in 2006 and 2009.”

The Jerusalem Post highlighted the voting trend among IDF soldiers:  “The current round of elections will see a higher than usual voter turnout among soldiers, the IDF estimated on Tuesday. In past elections, some 58 percent of soldiers on combat duty took part, but this year, the percentage should be higher, said deputy elections headquarters chairman for the IDF, Alon Solomon. The increase in the numbers of voting soldiers can be explained by the current generation of soldiers, who "are curious youths realizing their right to vote for the first time in their lives," and which is keen on experiencing the voting process, Solomon added.”

Photo:  Avishag Shaar-Yeshuv

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