Israelis head to the polls on Tuesday for the first time since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, in an election that will test support for veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the country’s shift to the right.
The vote comes amid the aftermath of nearly three years of regional conflict across multiple fronts, triggered by the October 7 attack. The trauma remains fresh, while questions over security and political accountability have become central issues in the campaign.
The closely contested election takes place as Israel faces growing international isolation over its military campaign in Gaza, expanding settlements and violence in the occupied West Bank, alongside a shift toward hard-right religious nationalism.
The final published opinion polls showed Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, running neck and neck with his main centrist rival, Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief who entered politics more recently.
Around 7.3 million people are eligible to vote, including more than half a million young Israelis casting ballots for the first time. Surveys indicate that many younger voters identify with the center-right or right-wing. Tens of thousands of Israelis are also estimated to have traveled home from abroad to participate in the election.
“I think this is one of the most important election days in the history of the state of Israel,” said Uriel Brandler, a 58-year-old real estate agent, in Jerusalem on the eve of the vote.
“The country definitely needs a change for the better in every aspect,” he added.
Netanyahu Focuses on Security Record
Netanyahu, 77, has served as prime minister for more than 19 years across several terms. During the campaign, he emphasized his security credentials, highlighted his relationship with US President Donald Trump and argued that he is best positioned to protect Israelis.
Since the October 7 attack, Netanyahu has overseen multiple military campaigns, including Israel’s devastating war in Gaza, operations in southern Lebanon and strikes against Iran carried out with US support.
Israeli civilians have also faced attacks and bombardments involving Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Yemen’s Houthi movement.
Zipporah Bennett, an 85-year-old retiree, said she planned to vote for Netanyahu because of his experience navigating the country through difficult periods.
“He has the full support of the American government,” she said, adding that she believed he was “a man who’s not afraid to take action.”
Netanyahu returned to power in December 2022, forming a coalition that included far-right nationalist parties. Those parties have since gained significant political influence.
October 7 Accountability at the Center of Debate
Opposition parties have criticized Netanyahu for supporting ultra-Orthodox parties seeking to preserve exemptions from military service for religious Jewish students, amid personnel shortages in the armed forces.
One of the most significant criticisms directed at the prime minister concerns his refusal to accept personal responsibility for the security failures surrounding the October 7 attack, the deadliest day in Israel’s history.
Eisenkot, 66, has pledged to establish an independent state commission of inquiry into the failures that preceded the attack. Netanyahu’s government has resisted such a move.
Eisenkot is seeking to unseat the prime minister through an informal alliance of parties led by his Yashar party and extending from the right to the center-left.
Although Eisenkot has pledged to oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state and expressed support for Israeli settlements, he has also promised to crack down on violence by settlers.
Arab Parties Could Play a Key Role
Neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot has publicly committed to forming a coalition with the predominantly Arab political lists, which represent a community accounting for about 21 percent of Israel’s population.
If the election produces a narrow result, these parties could play a decisive role in determining which bloc is able to form a government.
Most polling stations are scheduled to close at 10 p.m. local time. Final results could take several days, and no single party is expected to approach the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120-member Knesset.
Forming a governing coalition could therefore take weeks or months. If negotiations fail, Israel could face another election.
