Israel Votes: Netanyahu and Eisenkot Nearly Tied as Coalition Talks Loom

Israel holds parliamentary elections on Tuesday, with polls showing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc and the opposition nearly tied, making coalition building likely decisive. The vote is the first since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, with about half a million first-time voters. Netanyahu campaigns on security with the slogan "No Surrender," arguing Israel has weakened enemies in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, while opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, a former army chief, demands a state inquiry into the October 7 failures and enforcement of military conscription for ultra-orthodox men. Eisenkot's centrist Yashar party has edged ahead of Likud in some recent surveys. Over 16 percent of first-time voters back far-right parties like Itamar Ben Gvir's, reflecting hardened attitudes near Gaza. Since neither bloc is projected to win a majority, Arab parties could become kingmakers, though most Jewish opposition parties refuse to cooperate with them.