What you need to know about the most consequential election in Israel’s history
Benjamin Netanyahu seeks a new mandate in Israel’s first election since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks
TL;DR
- Israel's election is its first since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking a new mandate, facing competition from Gadi Eisenkot.
- Key election issues include security, the cost of living, democratic institutions, and the ongoing wars.
- Netanyahu's far-right allies advocate for ethnic cleansing and settlement expansion.
- Polls indicate Netanyahu's coalition may lose its majority, but opposition parties are divided.
- The Israeli electoral system requires coalition governments due to proportional representation.
- Voting rights are unequal, with settlers in the West Bank able to vote while Palestinians in occupied territories cannot.