Israel Votes 2009

What you see above is how Israel's Google search engine is marking today (even though Israeliss don't vote in booths like that).

In just a few hours (2 PM EST), the first exit polls will be announced by the Israeli TV networks. While those polls have been wrong in the past, they will give us a good idea as to the makeup of the next Knesset. Turnout has been high

While we wait, you can read some background in this special section from the JTA. Also see Israel Votes 2009 a site designed to educate visitors about Israel's democracy, and The Jerusalem Post's Election 2009 section. See live coverage from Israeli TV in Hebrew at http://www.mako.co.il/ and http://news.reshet.tv/News/Main/.aspx - also see other live Hebrew coverge at from Israel's Channel 1 and the IBA, which also has links to the English news feed. Also, Channel 2 has set up a special You Tube site.

See a composite graph of the latest polls here.

Meanwhile, you might want to catch up on the campaign by taking a look at the ads run by each of the major parties, with interesting English commentary, at http://www.nextbook.org/cultural/print.html?id=3005.