Israel Elections: Netanyahu Faces Crucial Vote

Occupied Jerusalem – Agencies: Israelis cast their ballots yesterday amid deep divisions, in the first election since the October 7, 2023 attacks, serving as a test for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the country’s growing shift to the right. The election takes place against the backdrop of three years of regional wars on multiple fronts ignited by the attack, with the shock still strongly felt and issues of accountability and security dominating the campaign. The vote, marked by fierce competition, comes as Israel appears increasingly isolated internationally due to the war in Gaza, accelerated settlement construction, escalating violence in the occupied West Bank, and the rise of hardline religious right-wing sentiment.

Voter turnout reached 31.5% by midday yesterday, the highest since 1977. The Times of Israel quoted the Central Elections Committee as saying that polling stations would remain open after 10 p.m. if voters were still in line.

Latest published opinion polls show a tight race between Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, and his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, the former chief of staff and recent political newcomer, whose calm demeanor is seen as the opposite of the current prime minister’s style. Approximately 7.3 million people are eligible to vote, including more than half a million young people voting for the first time. Polls indicate that the vast majority of them identify as center-right or right-wing. Tens of thousands have reportedly returned by air from abroad to participate in an election viewed as decisive in shaping Israel’s future identity.

Netanyahu, 77, has served as prime minister in intermittent periods for more than 19 years. He has heavily emphasized his security expertise during his campaign, leveraging his relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump and asserting that he is the only one capable of ensuring Israelis’ security. However, the most prominent criticism against Netanyahu is his failure to take responsibility for the October 7 attacks.

In contrast, Eisenkot, 66, has pledged to establish an independent official inquiry into the security failures that led to the attack, a move opposed by Netanyahu’s government. An informal bloc of parties led by the Yesh Atid party under Eisenkot’s leadership, comprising forces from the right to the center-left, is seeking to unseat the prime minister. Eisenkot has pledged to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state and expressed support for Israeli settlements, but he has promised to firmly confront settler violence.

Neither Eisenkot nor Netanyahu has indicated readiness to form an alliance with lists dominated by Arabs, who represent about 21% of Israel’s population and could play a decisive role in forming a government if results are close, as expected. Meanwhile, Joint List leader Youssef Jabareen cast his vote in the morning at a polling station opened in a school in his hometown of Umm al-Fahm, an Arab city within Israel. He expressed hope for high turnout among members of his community to help bring down Netanyahu’s coalition.

Final results may take days to emerge, and it is highly unlikely that any single party will come close to winning the 61 seats needed to secure a majority in the 120-seat parliament. Forming any coalition could take weeks or months, with the possibility of new elections if negotiations fail.