The elections are well underway in Israel, and nearly 6 million voters are eligible to cast ballots at over 10,000 locations around the country.  Some are predicting the highest turnout since 1999, likely reaching about 90%.

Election results will not be official until March 25, though exit polls will be broadcast by Israeli TV on the evening news.  Prior to official results, there will be lots of political maneuvering!  Keep in mind that, though Israel is a democracy like the US, their elections are considerably different.  Voters are voting for a party, not an individual.  The leader of the winning party will be tasked with putting together the next government (Prime Minister, cabinet members, etc).  Often, the leader of the winning party becomes Prime Minister, but not always.  It is common for parties to form coalitions, and Israel has right, center, and left-leaning parties.

Thus, there is still lots of ground to cover in determining who will fill critical positions in the new government.

In late developments, not only did leadership of the Zionist Union party break apart, but polls indicate that the Likud party likely captured some votes from Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home), another right-wing party.  The breakup of the left-leaning ZU ticket will likely not cost that party many votes, as the representative who split off was not well-liked.  However, it is believed the Likud may have closed the gap with Zionist Union by gaining support of Bayit Yehudi voters.

So, in what may be one of the most important elections in history, Israel is set to elect leaders to guide them through the current maze of geopolitical, social, and economic challenges.  The Arab world watches with curiosity, the Palestinian world watches with hope of weakness, the Persian world watches with evil intent, the Obama administration watches with great hope of leadership change, and as Christians, we watch with expectation that God will grant wisdom to Israel’s leaders and will guide His chosen people.  Keep praying!