Israelis Vote in Tense Election Framed as Netanyahu Referendum

Israelis went to the polls Tuesday in a tense national election widely viewed as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack and the wars that have reshaped the Middle East.

Voters choose parties rather than a prime minister directly, and those parties then negotiate alliances to build a governing coalition. No single party has ever secured the 61 seats needed for a majority in Israel’s 120-member parliament, known as the Knesset.

With polls indicating a close contest and no obvious winner, negotiations involving roughly a dozen parties expected to enter the Knesset could continue for weeks or even months.

Here is the latest:

Polls open across Israel in a tense election

As polling stations opened Tuesday, thousands of volunteer election observers were deployed across Israel to monitor the voting process.

Eyal Sher said he volunteered with the civil society group Elections Guards because he wanted to contribute to an election he considers especially consequential.

“We have a corrupt government that will do anything to stay in power,” he said. “Every vote counts and we want to make sure the procedures are kept intact.”

Netanyahu’s legacy is on the line in the vote

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Netanyahu, Israel’s dominant political figure for nearly two decades, could see his long career end on a bitter note if his party performs poorly. Such a result would also create an opening for a new chapter in Israeli politics.

A win, by contrast, would reinforce his reputation as Israel’s ultimate political survivor. U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed Netanyahu’s reelection earlier this month, but the late backing also underscored a setback for the Likud leader, who had promoted his close relationship with the Republican president as a reason to remain in office.

Netanyahu has repeatedly succeeded in assembling coalitions with religious and nationalist parties. Yet polls point to a narrow race between his bloc and the alliance led by his main challenger, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot. Eisenkot’s camp argues that Netanyahu must be held responsible for the Oct. 7 security failure and for failing to convert battlefield gains into diplomatic achievements.

Scars of Oct. 7 weigh heavily on Israelis

The deadliest day in Israel’s history has been central to the campaign. However, candidates have largely avoided debating Israel’s conduct during the war in Gaza, which resulted in an international arrest warrant being issued for Netanyahu.

Israel’s occupation of large parts of southern Lebanon and sections of Syria, along with the two wars it launched against Iran, also enjoys broad support among Israeli voters.

Instead, the candidates have concentrated on Netanyahu’s responsibility for the Oct. 7 security breakdown, his attempts to exempt ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service and the 2023 judicial overhaul that critics described as an attack on Israel’s democratic institutions.