AKIPRESS.COM - Israelis head to the ballot box with polls suggesting they’re weary of incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, yet wary of choosing a new leader amid mounting security threats and deadlocked peacemaking with the Palestinians, reports Bloomberg.

Surveys indicate Tuesday’s election is too close to call. Most show Netanyahu’s Likud party trailing opposition leader Isaac Herzog’s Zionist Union by three or four of parliament’s 120 seats, with both falling far short of a majority. While polls show Netanyahu better able to build a coalition with smaller factions that share his reluctance to cede land to the Palestinians, the shift of a few seats could turn the tide in Herzog’s favor, or compel the two to form a unity government.

The election comes as Israel is grappling with stalled negotiations with the Palestinians, rising Islamic militancy on its borders, Iran’s nuclear program and growing friction with the U.S. Netanyahu contends only he has the experience and toughness to confront these challenges. Herzog says the prime minister’s approach has only made these problems worse and he’s also criticized Netanyahu’s economic record.

“There is a sense of public fatigue with Netanyahu,” said Abraham Diskin, professor emeritus of political science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. “However, he still benefits from the ideological loyalty of his nationalist camp and the public uncertainty over Herzog’s capabilities.”