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A lackluster Israeli election campaign is drawing to a close. The final polls [1] had Isaac HerzogÂ’s Zionist Union party set to emerge as the single largest party, with Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuÂ’s Likud finishing second. The polls put HerzogÂ’s list at anywhere from 24-26 seats in the 120-member Knesset, with Likud a corresponding four seats behind in each poll.Although the polls expect Likud to lose seats, they still appear ready to leave the right-wing bloc (i.e., the totality of right-wing parties including Likud and other rightist lists) as larger than the left-wing bloc (the totality of left-of-center lists)...

"The historic announcement of Livni and Herzog marks new lows in terms of broken promises," MK Yariv Levin (Likud) stated Monday night. "If, until today, we had grown accustomed to the Left breaking its promises after elections, now these promises are being broken even before the polls open." "Whoever can't handle the stress of the night before elections is not able to handle the day-to-day stresses of premiership," he added. "Now it is absolutely clear that there is only one suitable candidate for Prime Minister - Binyamin Netanyahu - and that only one party fulfills its promises: Likud." "Livni's misstep...

Claiming it could affect Herzog's chances of forming a government, his co-chair gives up rotation deal that brought them together. MK Tzipi Livni announced Monday that she has given up the rotation deal for prime minister she shared with Labor leader Yitzhak Herzog, which had been a key condition of Labor and Hatnua's merging. According to Livni, maintaining the rotation would constitute an obstacle to Herzog forming the next government. She stressed that the most important thing was to replace Binyamin Netanyahu as Prime Minister. Over the weekend, Herzog and Livni dropped hints that they were ready to waive the...

Zionist Union’s No. 2 drops bombshell 12 hours before election; Netanyahu, Herzog accuse each other of ‘panicking’. The Zionist Union’s Tzipi Livni announced Monday evening that she would give up the rotation of the premiership with the slate’s leader, Isaac Herzog, an agreement the two made months ago when her Hatnua party merged with his Labor Party. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign up! In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the party was “panicking,” while Yesh Atid party leader Yair Lapid and Jewish Home party leader Naftali Bennett...