NAIROBI, Kenya – The Israeli Embassy in Kenya has held elections for the national parliament and legislative body of the State of Israel.
Led by the Israeli Ambassador to Kenya, H.E. Gideon Behar, all Israeli diplomats casted their votes on Thursday, October 15, for the 26th Knesset ahead of the Tuesday, October 27, elections.
Understanding Israeli elections
Speaking during a press conference attended by News9.africa, Ambassador Behar explained that Elections by Diplomats allows all envoys across different parts of the world to cast their votes for the Knesset without leaving the embassy.
“The election time in Israel is on October 27… this is when all citizens of Israel will go to vote, but we need to start earlier as diplomats, and we are very happy.
“We are very proud to be here in Nairobi to cast our votes and to be part of the democratic process in Israel. Israel is a vibrant society, a vibrant democracy. Every citizen is eligible to vote if he or she is 18 years and above, including all minorities, all religions, all genders, everyone is eligible to vote,” said HE Behar.
The Ambassador revealed that about 7.3 million people are eligible to vote in Israel from a population of above 10 million people.
“The citizens are voting for the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, which has 120 seats and 120 members. There are 38 parties competing in these elections.
“The votes take place every four years. So the last time we went to the ballot to vote was four years ago in 2022. And today we are again voting and we are very proud to be here and to be part of this process,” he added.
What is the Knesset in the Israeli election?
Behar explained that the Knesset is the Israeli parliament. The name is derived from ancient times, 2,000 years ago, when there was a body like that in ancient Israel called the Knesset.
“The citizens choose the parties and choose the members of the Knesset. And then the members of the Knesset with the different parties will form a coalition. And the coalition will have a prime minister
“This is a direct kind of voting. Each one of us has a vote. Israeli diplomats around the world are allowed to vote at the embassies. All Israelis will have to travel back to Israel
“Later on, after voting, this ballot box will be sent to Israel, and it will be counted as part of the election process,” he said.
Kenya’s relation with Israel
Ambassador Behar revealed that the Nairobi embassy covers five countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Seychelles, the UN organisations here and the East African Community.
“Nairobi is one of our most important embassies in Africa in general, and our relationship with Kenya has been historical and long-standing, so there is a very strong, long history of relationship.
“We see Kenya as a very important ally of Israel, and for us the relationship with Kenya goes beyond a diplomatic relationship between countries. We feel a profound connection between the people of Kenya and the people of Israel,” the Ambassador noted.
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