Israeli election pits Netanyahu's coalition against centrist opposition

Israel's election on Tuesday pits Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition against a centrist opposition, with polls showing neither bloc winning a majority. The outcome will determine the country's direction on issues from Palestinian policy to judicial reform. Netanyahu's allies propose radical measures including the "Judaisation" of Arab-majority areas in Israel, resuming a controversial judicial overhaul, and encouraging Palestinian emigration from Gaza and the West Bank. The opposition, led by former general Gadi Eisenkot, pledges to roll back judicial changes and end the ultra-Orthodox exemption from military service. The election is the first since Hamas's October 7th, 2023 attack, and is seen as a reckoning with that day's failures. Analysts say the choice goes to the core of Israel's identity, with implications for Israeli society, Palestinians, and Israel's international standing, as several countries have already imposed sanctions over West Bank settlement expansion.