Israel Heads to Divisive Election Tuesday

Israelis vote Tuesday in an election pitting Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc against opposition parties led by Gadi Eisenkot.

61 seats are needed for a Knesset majority; polls show neither bloc there.
500,000-plus new voters, aged 18 to 22, joined the rolls since 2022.
Three-quarters of Jewish first-time voters identify as right or center-right.
Donald Trump endorsed Netanyahu this week, tying his support to Iran.

Why it matters: The vote decides whether Israel's longest-serving prime minister keeps power after the Gaza war. Issues include cost of living, ultra-Orthodox conscription and an Oct. 7 inquiry.

Eisenkot would be Israel's first Mizrahi prime minister.
Eisenkot opposes a Palestinian state and backs some West Bank settlement building.

The story so far

32 steps · since Oct 7

Oct 7Trump Says U.S. Won't Attack Iran Before Midterms66 sources
Oct 10–13
Oct 18Trump Endorses Netanyahu Nine Days Before Israeli Election64 sources
Oct 19
Oct 22Israel Heads to Divisive Election TuesdayYou are here
Oct 23–24
Oct 256:51 AMIsraeli Expats Expected to Fly Home for Pivotal Vote94 sources
Oct 25
Oct 27Likud-Led Bloc Wins Most Seats, Falls Short of Majority81 sources
Oct 29–Nov 7
Nov 8Report: Shin Bet Finds No Evidence of Foreign Election Meddling3 sourcesLatest

How 63 sources split on this story

Source landscape

Factuality

High

Mixed

Low

Strong LeftLeftLean LeftCenterLean RightRightStrong Right

Political Bias

Coverage by lean% of 63 sources

63 sources · 226 articles · 54% Center coverage

Where they split: Coverage divides on whether replacing Netanyahu with Eisenkot would bring real change, or mainly a different leader with similar policies.

Center coverage, 34 sources: The center sees a real chance Netanyahu loses, but doubts a new government would change much for Palestinians in Gaza.

The Week1w+What happens to Gaza if Netanyahu loses?Jerusalem Post1w+A vote for Netanyahu is a vote for victory - opinion Times of Israel1w+Israel Votes: The Final Lap - Sponsored Content France 241w+Israeli election seen as a referendum: For or against Netanyahu?RealClearWorld1w+What's Not on the Ballot in Israel: Peace Reuters1w+Netanyahu faces reckoning for October 7 in Israel's first vote since attack Associated Press1w+Netanyahu’s legacy is on the line as Israelis vote in the first elections since the Oct. 7 attack Semafor1w+Implications for the Gulf in the Israeli elections The Hill1w+Netanyahu’s legacy is on the line as Israelis vote in the first elections since the Oct. 7 attack BBC News1w+Deeply divided Israel braces for pivotal election Bloomberg1w+Iran Stance Splits Netanyahu and Challenger Eisenkot Before Vote CTV News1w+A look at the main issues in Israeli elections seen as a referendum on Netanyahu Financial Times1w+A day in Benjamin Netanyahu’s heartland Japan Times1w+Israel’s Eisenkot vows unity as Netanyahu paints him as soft on Iran Newsweek1w+Will Benjamin Netanyahu win Israel election? What polls show Christian Science Monitor1w+As Israel looks toward elections, some voters see a defining moment Foreign Policy1w+What if No One Wins the Israeli Election?Fortune1w+Tens of thousands of Israelis living abroad are expected to fly home to vote in a close election after many anti-Netanyahu liberals left the country | Fortune Iran International1w+Iranians pin hopes for political change on Netanyahu's election win RealClearPolitics1w+The Former General Who Could End the Netanyahu Era Axios1w+As Israeli election looms, Trump advisers see opportunity beyond Netanyahu CNBC1w+How war, security and coalition math are shaping the Israeli election Council on Foreign Relations1w+Israel’s Election: Who’s Who and What’s at Stake?Deutsche Welle1w+How a centrist candidate with Moroccan roots hopes to oust right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Foreign Affairs1w+What Israel’s Election Won't Change Gallup1w+Israelis' Confidence in Elections Dips Ahead of Key Vote IBTimes1w+Israel's Most Uncertain Electoral Story? Ofer Winter's Party Divides the Final Polls News4Jax1w+A look at the main issues in Israeli elections seen as a referendum on Netanyahu NPR1w+Israelis have changed. Will they change their leadership?PBS NewsHour1w+Signs of fraying loyalty emerge in Netanyahu stronghold before Israeli election Snopes1w+US-Israel relations: 20 claims we've investigated The Conversation1w+Palestinian citizens face a painful choice in Israel’s election: To vote or not The National Desk1w+Fact Check Team: How Israel’s election could shape its relationship with the US and Iran USA Today1w+Where do Georgia voters stand on Israel ahead of midterm election?

Left coverage, 16 sources: The left sees an election that sidelines Palestinian citizens, with an opposition sharing Netanyahu's positions on Palestinians and young voters moving right.