Israel Votes Tuesday: Opposition Eyes Majority After Oct 7 Attack
Israel is heading into a high-stakes parliamentary election on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing strong opposition from a group of seasoned political leaders. Those seeking to unseat him include Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid, Avigdor Lieberman and Yair Golan.
Local media describe the vote as especially consequential for the nation's future.
Netanyahu argues that he is the candidate best placed to protect Israel's security and steer its foreign relations. His Likud party points to its operations against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran as evidence of success on the battlefield.
His critics, however, say the October 7 attack exposed major security failures that occurred during his government's term.
Former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot has risen as Netanyahu's main rival. His new party, Yashar, emphasises security while also promising to restore public trust and strengthen democratic institutions.
Bennett and Lapid, both former prime ministers, have created the Bayahad alliance to bring together voters from the right and the centre. Their platform calls for strengthening national security, enlisting ultra-Orthodox men in the army and workforce, backing reservists and reforming the constitutional system.
Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party favours strict security policies and a secular approach to governance. It was long popular among immigrants from the former Soviet Union, but it is now targeting a wider audience that wants universal military service and less influence of religion in public life.
Yair Golan's Democratic Party is against annexation and supports a diplomatic path to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. It also advocates deeper cooperation with moderate countries in the region.
The race is close, and opposition figures have begun considering possible governing options after the ballot. A minority government has come up for discussion, though Lieberman and Bennett have rejected the idea. Meanwhile, a broad sense of agreement is emerging on removing the current Speaker, Amir Ohana, whatever the timing of any coalition deal.
Most surveys indicate that the anti-Netanyahu bloc is ahead. Still, the parties seeking a change in leadership remain short of the majority required to form a government under their present understandings.
The election comes almost three years after the deadliest attack in Israel's history. Voters are expected to decide not only the political futures of Netanyahu and his rivals but also the direction the country will take.
It is the first general election since the Hamas-led massacre of October 7, 2023, and it is being held amid deep national debate over accountability for the attack, the fair distribution of military service, and the independence of the judiciary and democratic institutions.
Many analysts believe the outcome will have wide-ranging effects on Israel's domestic politics as well as its regional and international relations.