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| Israel enters final campaign day | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Politicians in Israel are making their final appeals to voters before a general election on Tuesday. | |
| The favourite to become prime minister is Binyamin Netanyahu, leader of the right-wing opposition party, Likud. | The favourite to become prime minister is Binyamin Netanyahu, leader of the right-wing opposition party, Likud. |
| But his opinion-poll lead has been clawed back in recent weeks by Tzipi Livni, who heads the centrist Kadima, the largest party in the government. | But his opinion-poll lead has been clawed back in recent weeks by Tzipi Livni, who heads the centrist Kadima, the largest party in the government. |
| The BBC's Tim Franks, in Jerusalem, says opinion polls suggest the far-right will make the biggest gains. | The BBC's Tim Franks, in Jerusalem, says opinion polls suggest the far-right will make the biggest gains. |
| He says the popularity of Israel Our Home Party led by Avogdor Lieberman is on the increase. | |
| The party advocates annexing Israel's settlements on the West Bank, and redrawing the borders so that Israel's large Arab minority comes under the control of the Palestinian Authority. | The party advocates annexing Israel's settlements on the West Bank, and redrawing the borders so that Israel's large Arab minority comes under the control of the Palestinian Authority. |
| But our correspondent says the apparent resurgence of Foreign Minister Ms Livni makes the outcome of the election difficult to predict. | But our correspondent says the apparent resurgence of Foreign Minister Ms Livni makes the outcome of the election difficult to predict. |
| Campaigning has taken place against a backdrop of continuing violence between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. | |
| An Israeli tank shell killed a 22-year-old militant in northern Gaza and there were Israeli air strikes against in Beit Lahiya in the north and Khan Younis in the south, with no reports of injuries. | |
| Current Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced several months ago that he was stepping down in the face of numerous investigations into alleged corruption. | |
| An attempt to form a new government without elections failed. | An attempt to form a new government without elections failed. |
| Despite there being vital issues facing Israel - including the fallout from the recent conflict in Gaza - observers say the current campaign has been surprisingly low key. | Despite there being vital issues facing Israel - including the fallout from the recent conflict in Gaza - observers say the current campaign has been surprisingly low key. |