Young Israeli voters lean right as election tests Netanyahu

Young Israeli voters are leaning further right than older generations ahead of Tuesday's parliamentary elections, with many drawn to far-right parties focused on security. The vote will test Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership. A September poll of Jewish first-time voters aged 18-22 found 74 percent identified as right-wing or centre-right, compared to 67 percent of the wider Jewish adult population. In Rehovot, a bellwether city, young voters cited the October 7, 2023 attacks and subsequent wars as shaping their views, with some supporting far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir. The election determines 120 Knesset seats, with no party ever winning a majority. Some young voters support centrist rivals like Gadi Eisenkot or Naftali Bennett, while others seek change from Netanyahu's long tenure. A minority lean left, and Palestinian citizens of Israel plan to vote for the United Arab List.