Israelis are voting today in national elections for the first time since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that triggered violence across Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. Polling stations will close at 10 p.m. local time.
Today’s election may influence the future of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has led the Likud party through 11 national elections since 1996. He has served as prime minister in six of those elections and has been in power almost continuously since 2009. However, recent opinion polls indicate that Likud might face a significant loss in seats compared to past elections.
Netanyahu is contending against a coalition of centrist and left-wing parties, as well as other right-wing groups. Key challengers include Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party, Naftali Bennett’s Together party, Avigdor Lieberman’s Israel Our Home, and Yair Golan’s Democrats. Analysts suggest that due to the fragmented nature of Israel’s political system, neither Netanyahu’s Likud nor the opposing coalition may achieve a decisive majority in the 120-seat Knesset.
Netanyahu’s current government emerged after the 2022 elections, forming a coalition with 64 seats made up of nationalist and religious parties. However, the current political climate may present new challenges for his leadership as various smaller parties, which are not clearly aligned with either side, also participate in the election.
As voting continues, the results could mark a pivotal moment for Israel’s political landscape, which features a mixture of ideologies, including right-wing, centrist, left-wing, ultra-Orthodox Jewish, and Arab parties. The official results will begin to be reported after polls close, marking the next significant step in Israel’s ongoing political evolution.
