Netanyahu faces voters in Israel's first election since 7 October

Israelis will vote on Tuesday in the country’s first national election since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership, national security and the country’s future at the center of a deeply divisive campaign.

The election is widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu’s handling of the security failures surrounding the attack and the wars that followed, as well as his government’s domestic policies.

Campaign issues include the cost of living, exemptions from military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews and a judicial overhaul that critics say weakened Israel’s democratic institutions.

Despite divisions over Netanyahu’s leadership, Israel’s wartime conduct in Gaza and its military operations across the region have received relatively little debate during the campaign.

Both major political blocs broadly support Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Search for unity

For many voters, the election is also an opportunity to address divisions within Israeli society and determine the country’s direction.

Shimon Elmaliah, a resident of Sderot, said he had decided to vote for opposition politician Gadi Eisenkot because he wanted to see greater unity.

“I decided to vote for Eisenkot because the time has come for someone to start bringing this people together a little. Until now, we have been two camps, and I believe Eisenkot will unite us,” Elmaliah said.

Eisenkot, a former military chief of staff, has emerged as a centrist challenger to Netanyahu.

He has pledged to investigate the failures surrounding the October 7 attack and work to restore Israel’s standing with international allies.

The 66-year-old leader comes from a working-class family of Jewish Moroccan immigrants, who spent four decades rising through the ranks of Israel’s military, eventually becoming the chief of staff.

His son and two nephews were killed in combat in Gaza following the October 7th attacks.

Eisenkot also served as an observer in Netanyahu’s war cabinet, but resigned after eight months, when he accused the prime minister of lacking a clear strategy.

He has since positioned himself as a moderate alternative to Netanyahu, but remains hawkish on security.

Eisenkot is credited with formulating Israel’s so‑called “Dahiyeh Doctrine,” a military strategy calling for the use of disproportionate power in areas from which militants launch attacks.

If he succeeds in forming a coalition, Eisenkot could become the first Israeli prime minister of Mizrahi descent.

Israel’s Mizrahim, who come from North Africa and the Middle East, have historically faced discrimination from the country’s European-descended elite.

Existential danger

Other voters say Netanyahu remains the strongest choice to lead the country through a period of continued security threats.

“What can you do? Bibi has proven himself in all areas. Only Bibi will win these elections, and if not, the State of Israel is in existential danger,” said Refael Ohayon, a resident of Jerusalem.

But some voters are calling for a new generation of leaders and greater equality.

“I want a new generation to come in, one that will care for our children and grandchildren, so that we have a better country here, with equal rights, where everyone can work and everyone can also study Torah,” said Gitti Amrani, another Jerusalem resident.

The vote will determine the composition of Israel’s 120-seat parliament, the Knesset.

The party or bloc able to assemble a majority coalition of at least 61 seats will be positioned to form the next government.

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