JERUSALEM (AP) — Israelis will vote Tuesday in a crucial election as their country is embroiled in unresolved wars. still in shock of the Hamas attack in 2023 and deeply divided on the character of the State and the right person to lead it.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a range of parties seeking to oust the longtime leader from power. Opinion polls suggest a tight race with his main rival, the former military leader Gadi Eisenkot. More than 7 million people have the right to vote.
In Israel fragmented parliamentary politicsno party has ever achieved an absolute parliamentary majority, so political leaders must forge coalitions.
It is possible that neither Netanyahu’s religious and ultranationalist coalition, nor the group of parties seeking to impeach him, will have enough support to secure a parliamentary majority. That could trigger weeks of negotiations before a leader is declared.
Arab-led Israeli parties, which are pushing for high turnout, could emerge as kingmakers whether they agree to support one candidate over another – and whether other parties agree to partner with them.
Emotions run high among some voters
Already, some emotions were strong when the polling stations open. In Kiryat ShmonaNetanyahu’s stronghold near the border with Lebanon, a man kicked and tore up a poster of Eisenkot.
The persistent tensions with Iran. Netanyahu increased threats against the country before the vote. He appeared in a video this week next to a missile defense battery and warned Tehran it would suffer “a devastating blow” if it attacked Israel.
This is the first national election held in Israel since Attack of October 7, 2023 which sparked the war in Gaza and associated conflicts in the region. In Tel Aviv, the families of some of those killed on October 7 or former hostages observed a minute of silence before the vote opened. “Remember all those whose voices are no more,” said Yona Adam, whose daughter Mapal Adam was killed.
About 330,000 young Israelis, many of whom are subject to compulsory military service due to the war, can vote for the first time.
The vote not only serves as a referendum on Netanyahu’s candidacy long direction but also about what kind of country Israel should be – heavily influenced by religious and nationalist forces, or more firmly anchored in liberal and secular values. Tens of thousands of voters living abroad flew to Israel to vote.
At stake is the fate of a country whose policies and leadership are sharply criticized by its traditional allies. Since the 2023 attack, Israel has found itself more and more isolated on his conduct in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where violence of Jewish settlers intensified. American public support has plummeted, and loyal partners in Europe and elsewhere have imposed sanctions on Israel in recent months.
Security, military conscription and integrity are major issues
For Israelis, the elections represent an opportunity to chart the country’s path after Netanyahu’s turbulent last four-year term.
Netanyahu’s supporters view him as a steady hand and consummate statesman who they say has guided Israel triumphantly through multiple wars. They believe he protects Israel’s Jewish identity while controlling what they see as an interventionist justice system.
His Israeli critics see him as a polarizing leader who, embroiled in an ongoing corruption trial, prolonged the Gaza war and hostage crisis for political reasons. They say it undermines the independence of Israel’s judicial system and weakens its democratic foundations. And they accuse him of encouraging a system that has allowed ultra-Orthodox religious Jews to avoid enlistment in the obligatory army of Israel.
Eisenkot is seen by his supporters as a capable leader with excellent security credentials who, along with his likely ruling partners, could act as a bulwark against creeping illiberalism. As someone personally affected by the conflict – his son and two nephews were killed in Gaza – his supporters say he deeply feels the pain that still grips Israel three years after the attacks.
Parties likely to support Eisenkot pledged to improve Israel’s international standing and work toward conscription ultra-orthodox men while strengthening the independence of the judiciary.
Gn world
