Israel’s January 22 election is expected to return Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to office, giving him a fresh mandate to tackle stubborn foreign policy questions, such as Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and domestic economic discontent.
The vote is expected to see Israel’s parliament swing further to the right, whittling away at the chances of a comprehensive peace deal with the Palestinians and raising the prospect of greater diplomatic isolation for the Jewish state.
Domestically, Netanyahu’s government will have to quickly pass a tough austerity budget to reduce the ballooning deficit, but also balance harsh measures against public anger over rising living costs and income disparity.
Netanyahu is not running unopposed, and has seen the Labour party hit him on economic issues, even as the hardline rightwing Jewish Home led by rising star Naftali Bennett condemns his support for a Palestinian state.
Polls show his rightwing Likud party, which is running on a joint list with the secular nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party, well ahead of its rivals, and surveys indicate Israelis consistently favour Netanyahu for the premiership.