Israel’s consequential election: Netanyahu seeks new mandate after 7 October attacks

Israel holds its first election since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks, which killed about 1,200 people, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeking a new mandate amid ongoing wars in Gaza and Iran and intensified West Bank operations. Netanyahu, on trial for corruption, leads a far-right coalition and claims unique experience for security, while rival Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief, campaigns on honesty and promises an inquiry into the attacks. Key voter issues include security, cost of living, draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men, and international isolation. Polls suggest Netanyahu’s coalition may lose its majority, with an anti-Netanyahu bloc divided among Jewish Israeli parties and Palestinian citizen parties. Results may hinge on two small parties near the 3.25% threshold, and about 3.1 million West Bank Palestinians and 2 million Gazans lack voting rights.