The first votes were cast in the Israeli general election on Thursday morning, with more than 5,000 officials around the world casting their ballots.

At the embassy in London, Israeli ambassador Mark Regev voted along with approximately 230 others, saying that the open, democratic elections symbolised the partnership between Israel and the UK.

“We of course have joint interests, but we also have joint democratic values. We should always remember that.”

The process began at the Israeli embassy in Wellington, New Zealand on Thursday morning and will end on Thursday evening at the Israeli consulate in Los Angeles, with staff at 96 diplomatic missions across the globe making their electoral decision. 

Mr Regev described how the ballot papers would be “sent back to Israel in a closed diplomatic bag, and on election day in Israel they are counted with everyone else’s.”

The election will take place in Israel on Tuesday April 9, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing the most serious electoral challenge in a decade.

Current polling suggests that Blue & White, the coalition between Benny Gantz, the former IDF Chief of Staff and Yair Lapid, may win the most Knesset seats under Israel’s proportional representation voting system, giving them the first opportunity to attempt to form a coalition government.

There are 43 different options on the ballot paper; however, only around a dozen are deemed likely to reach the 3.25 per cent threshold necessary in order to gain seats in the Knesset.

Unlike many other countries, the majority of Israeli expatriates living abroad are required to return home to Israel in order to vote. Exceptions to the rule include Israeli diplomats, members of trade missions and staff of El Al, Israel’s national airline.