Israel election: Eisenkot vows unity as Netanyahu warns of Iran nuclear threat

Two days before Israel's parliamentary elections, Gadi Eisenkot promised to unite the deeply divided country, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu escalated attacks on the opposition, warning of existential threats from Iran and Palestinians. Eisenkot, a former army chief, told supporters in Tel Aviv he would work to reunite all Israelis regardless of their vote, and pledged an independent commission to investigate the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Netanyahu, campaigning on security, claimed he alone could complete the war against Iran. Netanyahu shared an AI-generated image of a nuclear mushroom cloud over Tel Aviv, framing Iran as an existential threat. Opposition leader Yair Lapid called Netanyahu "derailed," while voters expressed hope for reduced polarization and trustworthy leadership.