Decisive elections for Israel’s future: Benjamin Netanyahu fights for a new term in the most important election in recent years

Israelis are going to the polls on Tuesday for the first national elections held since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, and the wars that followed in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. The vote will determine not only whether Benjamin Netanyahu remains prime minister, but also the country’s political, military and diplomatic direction.

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is running for the Likud party and seeking to preserve his coalition of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties. His main rival is Gadi Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, whose centrist Yashar party leads in some polls.

Neither camp is projected to win the 61 seats needed to form a government in the Knesset, which has 120 seats. The outcome could depend on smaller parties, Arab voter turnout and parties that fail to clear the 3.25% electoral threshold.

Voters are concerned about security, responsibility for the failure of October 7, the enlistment of ultra-Orthodox men and the cost of living. Internationally, the vote could influence policy toward the Palestinians and Israel’s relations with the United States and Europe. After the results are announced, negotiations to form a coalition could take weeks or even months.