Israeli election to test Benjamin Netanyahu's ability to hold power
Summary
Israelis are set to vote in parliamentary elections on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership at the center of the campaign. Polls give opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot’s party a lead, but he may need a coalition of several parties to form a government, and analysts say Netanyahu could still remain prime minister.Key Facts
- Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Tel Aviv on October 24, demanding accountability for failures related to the October 7 attacks and calling for a state commission of inquiry.
- The election is Israel’s first parliamentary vote since the October 7 attacks.
- Thirty-nine parties are running, though the campaign has largely focused on Netanyahu, who has dominated Israeli politics for more than three decades.
- Netanyahu’s critics cite controversial changes affecting the judiciary, his corruption trial, and allegations that he failed to heed warnings before the October 7 attacks.
- Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief of staff, leads the opposition challenge; his son was killed fighting Hamas after the Gaza war began.
- Eisenkot left Netanyahu’s government in 2024, saying Netanyahu was prolonging the war and delaying a hostage deal to satisfy right-wing coalition partners.
- Analyst Dahlia Scheindlin said Eisenkot’s proposed changes include establishing a state inquiry into October 7 and drafting ultra-Orthodox men into military service.
- Polls show Eisenkot’s party ahead, but it would likely need to form a coalition with at least four other parties to govern.
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