Egyptian cop accused of shooting woman protester
CAIRO: An Egyptian police officer was charged on Tuesday over the fatal shooting of Shaimaa Sabbagh, a woman protester whose death caused international outrage when footage of it spread online in January. Sabbagh was shot in Cairo during protests a day before the anniversary of the uprising that ousted autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011. The public prosecutor referred the case for trial in a criminal court, a rare action against a member of the security forces. JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political survival was on the line Tuesday in a hard-fought parliamentary election pitting his nationalist and security-first ideology against his challengers’ focus on the plight of the country’s struggling middle class.
Opinion polls showed a tight race heading into Tuesday’s vote, with Netanyahu’s opponents, led by Isaac Herzog of the centrist Zionist Union, showing a slight lead. The last available poll was published Friday, when a significant number of voters were still undecided.
In a dramatic last-ditch effort to appeal to his right-wing base, Netanyahu reiterated his pledge Tuesday to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state and took a swipe at Israel’s own Arab minority.
“Right wing rule is in danger. Arab voters are going to the polls BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, Israel Prime Minister promises no Palestinian state if he is re-elected.
in droves. Left wing organizations are bringing them in buses,” Netanyahu said in a video statement posted on his Facebook page.
He called on supporters to vote for him to “narrow the gap” between his party and the Zionist Union. “With your help, and with the help of God, we will build a nationalist government that will protect the state of Israel,” he said.
Herzog has promised to revive peace efforts with the Palestinians, repair ties with the United States and reduce the growing gaps between rich and poor.
“Whoever wants to follow (Netanyahu’s) path of despair and disappointment will vote for him,” Herzog said after casting his vote. “But whoever wants change, hope, and really a better future for Israel, will vote the Zionist Union led by me.”
That call resonated with 51-yearold Ofer Benishti, who voted at a polling station in Kfar Saba in central Israel. He said he was a lifelong Likud voter but was now casting his ballot for the Zionist Union.
“I have had enough,” said Benishti, a businessman whose company deals with spare parts for buses. “Bibi tried and tried and tried, but it just hasn’t worked. It’s time to give someone else a chance. It can’t get worse than this.”
Polls also suggest the Arab Israeli Joint List could win up to 13 seats, making it the third bloc in the Knesset. BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: Victory for his Likud party could mean a fourth term and would make him Israel’s longest-serving PM His hawkish stance on Palestine have made him popular with the right but a divisive figure
TZIPI
LIVNI: Herzog’s co-leader in the Zionist Union, Livni is a prominent advocate of seeking more co-operation with the Palestinian Authority Nearly six million Israelis are voting for a new parliament, the Knesset
Votes are cast for a party, rather than individual candidates 120 seats up for grabs, though electoral system means no single ISAAC HERZOG: Co-leader of the centre-left Zionist Union electoral alliance. Has accused Likud of depressing Israeli living standards and campaigned against Netanyahu’s foreign policy
MOSHE KAHLON:
A former Likud welfare minister under Netanyahu, Kahlon’s centreright Kulanu party could play kingmaker in a coalition party will achieve a majority Blocs of parties must command at least 61 seats to form a government
Latest polling trends show PM’s opponents are slightly ahead. Results expected today