Israel Polls Open Without Clear Majority Winner
Netanyahu faces Eisenkot in a race where Arab-led parties could decide control of parliament.
By Tunde Bailey ·
Israeli polls opened Tuesday with no single party positioned to win a parliamentary majority, setting the stage for coalition talks between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot. Opinion surveys published before the vote showed the two rivals running close.
Netanyahu's religious and ultranationalist coalition competes against a bloc of parties seeking to remove him. Neither side has secured enough projected support to govern alone. Nonaligned Arab parties are pushing for heavy turnout and could play a decisive role in any governing arrangement.
In Kiryat Shmona, a Netanyahu stronghold near the Lebanese border, one man kicked and tore down a poster of Eisenkot shortly after polls opened. In Tel Aviv, families of those killed or taken hostage in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack held a moment of silence. "Remember all those whose voices are no more," said Yona Adam, whose daughter Mapal Adam died in the attack.
This is Israel's first national vote since the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war in Gaza and related conflicts. Netanyahu released a video this week beside a missile-defense battery, warning Tehran it would face "a devastating blow" if it attacked Israel.
Supporters credit Netanyahu with steering the country through multiple wars while protecting its Jewish identity and restraining what they describe as an interventionist judiciary. Critics point to his ongoing corruption trial and accuse him of prolonging the Gaza war and hostage crisis for political reasons. They also say he has allowed ultra-Orthodox men to avoid compulsory military service.
Eisenkot's backers cite his security record. His son and two nephews were killed in Gaza. Parties expected to align with him have pledged to conscript ultra-Orthodox men and restore the independence of the judiciary. Israel has faced sanctions in recent months from European partners, and public support among Americans has declined since 2023.
Polls closed Tuesday with no clear winner. Coalition negotiations could take weeks before a leader is declared.
