Israel's election focuses on Netanyahu's fate, not Gaza or West Bank

Israelis head to the polls tomorrow in an election centered on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political survival, with the occupied territories notably absent from the campaign agenda despite being the region's most critical issue. Former deputy national security adviser Shlomo Brom says the election is not about the fate of Gaza and the West Bank, though he hopes a new government would address settler violence and resume dialogue with the Palestinian Authority. Human rights group Yesh Din warns the current government has accelerated annexation of the West Bank to the point where it may be irreversible. The election also reflects deep societal divisions over military service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews and the influence of far-right coalition partners advocating maximal annexation. Opposition leader Gabi Eisenkot, whose son died in the Gaza war, has promised a state inquiry into the October 7 failures and equal conscription obligations.