Israelis have changed. Will they change their leadership?
Israelis are heading to the polls in a pivotal election to decide whether to retain Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the October 7 attacks. The electorate is deeply divided between those prioritizing security through continued military action and those seeking a change in leadership due to the humanitarian and diplomatic fallout.
Why it matters
The election results will determine Israel's future military strategy, regional relations, and internal political stability.
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israelis are convinced that elections scheduled for Tuesday are the most pivotal in their nation's history.
Will they vote out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — and his coalition of far-right, ultranationalist and religious political parties — because he failed to prevent the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust?
Or will they reelect him to continue his campaign of retaliation, waging wars that aim to reshape the Middle East? His main challenger, former military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, leads a center-right opposition promising more diplomacy and less extremism.
It is Israel's first vote after these years of battle and bloodshed. Israelis are so concerned about their country's future that tens of thousands of expats are expected to fly back to cast ballots, since Israel does not allow absentee voting.
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