Israel's October 27 election: 37 parties compete, no bloc projected to win majority

Israelis vote on October 27 in elections with 37 parties competing, and polls show neither major bloc is projected to win the 61 Knesset seats needed to form a government. The vote is considered among the most important in the country's history following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks a seventh term leading his right-wing coalition, while former military chief Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party leads the opposition bloc by a narrow margin. About 7.3 million Israelis are eligible to elect 120 parliament members, with results expected within 24 hours of polls closing. The election features new parties, including a union of Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, and Arab parties that could play a kingmaker role. If no government forms after the president's consultations, new elections would be triggered.