How genocidal war on Gaza is shaping Israel’s election
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is framing his re-election campaign around national security and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Critics argue he is using the war to entrench his political position despite facing internal criticism over his handling of the October 7 attacks.
Why it matters
The intersection of the Gaza conflict and Israeli domestic politics is critical to understanding regional stability and the future of Middle Eastern geopolitics.
Israel’s election appears less a demand for change than a further entrenchment of the jingoism that surged after October 7, 2023.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men stand next to a billboard depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alongside leaders of opposition parties, with the slogan 'Right or Palestine', before Israel's general election, in Ashdod, Israel [Ohad Zwigenberg/AP] By Urooba Jamal Published On 11 Oct 2026 11 Oct 2026 As Israel entered the final month before its October 27 election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a chilling warning to share.
Israel’s enemies, he said on September 29, were plotting an attack on the country before the vote. Without providing any evidence, he then quickly referred to continuing attacks by Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip, where he said they had killed more than 100 “terrorists” in recent weeks.
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