Israelis go to the polls
Israeli police and elections officials said most of the country’s 9,263 polling stations opened as scheduled at 7am local time (05.00 Irish time) and no major incidents were reported.
Polls are open in all but the smallest communities until 10pm (20.00 Irish time).
Voters in Jerusalem and many other parts of Israel braved pouring rain and strong winds, expected to keep voter turnout low.
Voter turnout in the last election in 2006 was 63.2%, the lowest in Israel’s history.
The Israeli military announced a blanket closure of the West Bank until midnight, barring Palestinians from entering Israel except for urgent medical treatment.
