<p class="title">Israel votes Tuesday in its second election in five months, determining whether to extend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's term as the country's longest-serving prime minister despite corruption allegations against him.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The stakes could not be much higher for the 69-year-old right-wing leader who, as in April polls, faces a strong challenge from ex-military chief Benny Gantz and his centrist Blue and White alliance.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ex-defence minister Avigdor Lieberman, Netanyahu's former right-hand man turned rival, could play a kingmaker role with his campaign to "make Israel normal again."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Polls open at 7:00 am (0400 GMT) and close at 10:00 pm (1900 GMT) in most areas. Some 6.4 million people are eligible to cast ballots.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The first exit surveys will be released just after polls close, while official results are not expected until Wednesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Some 18,000 police, security guards and volunteers will be deployed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Opinion polls ahead of the election have indicated another tight race, showing Netanyahu's Likud and Blue and White winning around 32 seats each in the 120-seat parliament.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Netanyahu enters the election after having suffered one of the biggest defeats of his political career after the April vote.</p>.<p class="bodytext">His Likud along with its right-wing and religious allies won a majority of seats, leading Israeli President Reuven Rivlin to task the premier with forming a new government.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But following weeks of discussions, Netanyahu failed to do so, leading him to opt for an unprecedented second election rather than risk having Rivlin choose someone else.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><strong>Danger for Netanyahu</strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">The danger for Netanyahu extends beyond remaining prime minister, a post he has held for a total of more than 13 years, first from 1996-1999 and again since 2009.</p>.<p class="bodytext">If he wins, many believe he will seek to have parliament grant him immunity from prosecution while facing the possibility of a corruption indictment in the weeks ahead.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Israel's attorney general has said he intends to indict Netanyahu for fraud, bribery and breach of trust pending a hearing expected only days after the election in early October. A final decision would come later.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Netanyahu would not be required to step down if indicted, only if convicted with all appeals exhausted.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Recognising the stakes, Netanyahu spent the final days of the campaign seeking to appeal to right-wing nationalists -- key to his re-election bid -- and to boost turnout among his base.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Those efforts have included a controversial pledge to annex the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank, a third of the territory.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He has issued unfounded warnings that the vote could be stolen by fraud in Arab communities, leading critics to accuse him of racism.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But Netanyahu has also highlighted the country's growing economy and his relationships with world leaders such as US President Donald Trump.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He has tried to label his main opponents "weak" and "leftist" despite their security credentials.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"This is the choice that is open to you: their left-wing government or a strong right-wing government led by me," he said on Facebook Live on Monday.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><strong>Opinion polls</strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">Gantz has campaigned by presenting himself as an honourable alternative to Netanyahu.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He has repeatedly spoken of Netanyahu's willingness to form a coalition with far-right parties that could help him seek immunity.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Gantz says his alliance, which includes three former military chiefs of staff, wants a unity government that the vast majority of Israelis would support.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Netanyahu continues to spread rude lies in a desperate attempt to save his government," Gantz said Monday. "He lies, scolds, skewers, divides."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Opinion polls show the campaign by Lieberman's nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party has resonated with voters.</p>.<p class="bodytext">His "make Israel normal again" slogan refers to what the staunch secularist says is the undue influence of ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties on the country's politics.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He accuses them of seeking to impose Jewish religious law on Israel's secular population and wants legislation ending the ultra-Orthodox's exemption from mandatory military service.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Lieberman prevented Netanyahu from forming a coalition after April polls when he refused to relent on his demand related to military service for the ultra-Orthodox.</p>.<p class="bodytext">It is not clear he will endorse Netanyahu as prime minister again, which could be enough for Rivlin to allow Gantz to try to form a government.</p>
<p class="title">Israel votes Tuesday in its second election in five months, determining whether to extend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's term as the country's longest-serving prime minister despite corruption allegations against him.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The stakes could not be much higher for the 69-year-old right-wing leader who, as in April polls, faces a strong challenge from ex-military chief Benny Gantz and his centrist Blue and White alliance.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ex-defence minister Avigdor Lieberman, Netanyahu's former right-hand man turned rival, could play a kingmaker role with his campaign to "make Israel normal again."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Polls open at 7:00 am (0400 GMT) and close at 10:00 pm (1900 GMT) in most areas. Some 6.4 million people are eligible to cast ballots.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The first exit surveys will be released just after polls close, while official results are not expected until Wednesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Some 18,000 police, security guards and volunteers will be deployed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Opinion polls ahead of the election have indicated another tight race, showing Netanyahu's Likud and Blue and White winning around 32 seats each in the 120-seat parliament.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Netanyahu enters the election after having suffered one of the biggest defeats of his political career after the April vote.</p>.<p class="bodytext">His Likud along with its right-wing and religious allies won a majority of seats, leading Israeli President Reuven Rivlin to task the premier with forming a new government.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But following weeks of discussions, Netanyahu failed to do so, leading him to opt for an unprecedented second election rather than risk having Rivlin choose someone else.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><strong>Danger for Netanyahu</strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">The danger for Netanyahu extends beyond remaining prime minister, a post he has held for a total of more than 13 years, first from 1996-1999 and again since 2009.</p>.<p class="bodytext">If he wins, many believe he will seek to have parliament grant him immunity from prosecution while facing the possibility of a corruption indictment in the weeks ahead.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Israel's attorney general has said he intends to indict Netanyahu for fraud, bribery and breach of trust pending a hearing expected only days after the election in early October. A final decision would come later.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Netanyahu would not be required to step down if indicted, only if convicted with all appeals exhausted.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Recognising the stakes, Netanyahu spent the final days of the campaign seeking to appeal to right-wing nationalists -- key to his re-election bid -- and to boost turnout among his base.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Those efforts have included a controversial pledge to annex the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank, a third of the territory.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He has issued unfounded warnings that the vote could be stolen by fraud in Arab communities, leading critics to accuse him of racism.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But Netanyahu has also highlighted the country's growing economy and his relationships with world leaders such as US President Donald Trump.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He has tried to label his main opponents "weak" and "leftist" despite their security credentials.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"This is the choice that is open to you: their left-wing government or a strong right-wing government led by me," he said on Facebook Live on Monday.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><strong>Opinion polls</strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">Gantz has campaigned by presenting himself as an honourable alternative to Netanyahu.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He has repeatedly spoken of Netanyahu's willingness to form a coalition with far-right parties that could help him seek immunity.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Gantz says his alliance, which includes three former military chiefs of staff, wants a unity government that the vast majority of Israelis would support.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Netanyahu continues to spread rude lies in a desperate attempt to save his government," Gantz said Monday. "He lies, scolds, skewers, divides."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Opinion polls show the campaign by Lieberman's nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party has resonated with voters.</p>.<p class="bodytext">His "make Israel normal again" slogan refers to what the staunch secularist says is the undue influence of ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties on the country's politics.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He accuses them of seeking to impose Jewish religious law on Israel's secular population and wants legislation ending the ultra-Orthodox's exemption from mandatory military service.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Lieberman prevented Netanyahu from forming a coalition after April polls when he refused to relent on his demand related to military service for the ultra-Orthodox.</p>.<p class="bodytext">It is not clear he will endorse Netanyahu as prime minister again, which could be enough for Rivlin to allow Gantz to try to form a government.</p>