以色列选举,内塔尼亚胡总理争取连任

Voters are going to the polls Tuesday in Israel where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking a fourth term as prime minister.

The latest pre-election surveys for the 120-member parliament showed Mr. Netanyahu's conservative Likud party trailing a few seats behind a center-left alliance led by Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog.

With neither candidate expected to win the 61-seat parliamentary majority, there has been a furious campaign push by the candidates to rally support from smaller groups ranging from communist and Arab-led parties to orthodox Jewish blocs.

Mr. Netanyahu called Tuesday's election three months ago when he fired his senior coalition partners. Analysts say these elections have become a referendum on the prime minister's leadership.

Ahead of the voting, Mr. Netanyahu reversed his earlier stance on Palestinian statehood, saying Monday that he will never support a Palestinian state if he remains in office.