Israeli election tests Netanyahu's leadership after Oct. 7 failures

Israelis vote Tuesday in their first national election since Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, attack, widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership. The campaign focuses on his moral character and role in the security failure, not wartime conduct in Gaza. Netanyahu faces criticism for blocking an official inquiry into the attack, while his rivals, including Gadi Eisenkot, emphasize accountability. Key issues include ultra-Orthodox military service exemptions, which anger secular Israelis amid a soldier shortage, and his 2023 judicial overhaul, though public fatigue has reduced its prominence. No major party advocates a Palestinian state, and both main blocs support West Bank settlements. The economy and cost of living rank high among voters, yet candidates have largely ignored these topics, with military spending and conflict costs looming large.