Israel votes on October 27, Netanyahu seeks a new term against former military chief Eisenkot

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

After three years of war, a series of military operations and a severe internal crisis sparked by Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, Israeli citizens have headed to the polls.

According to the latest polls before the election, the advantage lies with the former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Gandhi Eisenkot. However, this lead does not guarantee him the ability to form a government. Although support for Netanyahu has fallen sharply, he continues to have a stable electorate and a system of political alliances that could enable him to return to power, even if Likud does not emerge as the largest force.

Eisenkot has attracted a considerable number of voters seeking a change in political leadership, but without fundamentally altering the national security strategy. Facing him, Netanyahu is trying to secure another term in a race against an opponent who knows Israel’s security establishment from close quarters.

The rise in support for Eisenkot does not indicate a general shift in Israeli society toward the left. It is more closely linked to a demand for a different style of governance, led by figures emerging from the same military and political environment that has shaped the country over the decades.

This reality also explains why the polls show a race with a possible winner, but without a clear majority to form a government. Even if Eisenkot’s party comes first, while Likud retains its particularly stable base, neither of the two main camps appears likely to reach 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 significantly greater.