Israel: Voters decide today whether Netanyahu will win another term against former army chief Eisenkot

Polling stations opened in Israel today, October 27, in an election that could bring Benjamin Netanyahu’s decade-long tenure at the head of government to an end, although this does not necessarily mean a change in power.

The vote is taking place after three years of war, a series of military operations and a deep internal crisis that began after Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023.

According to the latest polls before the election, former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Gandhi Eisenkot, has the advantage. However, leading in the vote does not guarantee that he will be able to form a government. Although support for Netanyahu has fallen significantly, he continues to have a stable electoral base and an important network of political alliances, which could enable him to return to or remain in power even if Likud does not emerge as the largest party.

Netanyahu is seeking a new term, while facing a rival with direct experience in the field of Israeli national security. Eisenkot has attracted a large share of voters seeking a change in political leadership, but without a profound reversal of the country’s security strategy.

Growing support for him does not indicate a general shift in Israeli society toward the left. It is more closely linked to the demand for a different way of governing, through figures who have emerged from the same military and political sphere that has shaped Israel for decades.

This situation also explains why the polls show a race in which there may be a winning party, but not necessarily a governing majority. Eisenkot’s political force could come first, while Likud could retain particularly strong support. However, according to most surveys, neither of the two main camps will secure the 61 seats needed for an absolute majority in the 120-member Knesset.

As a result, Israel could once again enter a period of political deadlock, this time in an environment where regional and international interests are far greater.