Leading Candidates in Israel's Election: Netanyahu Faces Tight Race

Israel holds a parliamentary election on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing a tight race against rivals who lack a clear path to power. The vote is the first since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that triggered regional wars. Netanyahu, in power for most of the time since 2009, is fighting for political survival amid an ICC war crimes warrant he rejects and domestic corruption charges he denies. His Likud party has dropped in polls since the attack, with top rivals including former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, ex-premier Naftali Bennett, and former defence minister Avigdor Lieberman. Far-right allies Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir back Netanyahu, while ultra-Orthodox parties remain key to his coalition. Unaligned parties, including Arab minority groups and new centrist factions, could tip the balance if the result is a stalemate.