Israelis head to polls in first general election since 7 October attacks with no clear favourite

Israel’s election is on a knife-edge as voters head to the polls today, with the final surveys showing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu neck and neck with his main centrist challenger, Gadi Eisenkot.

It is the country’s first general election since the Hamas-led attack of 7 October 2023. Some 7.3 million people are eligible to vote, including hundreds of thousands casting a ballot for the first time, while tens of thousands of Israelis living abroad are thought to have flown home to take part.

Netanyahu, 77, is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, having held the post on and off for more than 19 years. He has campaigned on his security record and his close relationship with US President Donald Trump, arguing he is best placed to keep the country safe.

Eisenkot, 66, a former military chief and political newcomer, leads the Yashar party and an informal bloc stretching from the right to the centre-left. He has pledged an independent state inquiry into the security failures surrounding the 7 October attack, something the current government has resisted.

Voters at polling stations reflected the divide. “He’s a man who’s not afraid to take action,” said 85-year-old Zipporah Bennett, explaining her support for Netanyahu. In Jerusalem, 65-year-old Alexandra said: “I want change in our country.”

Arab-majority parties, which represent around 21% of the population, could prove kingmakers if the result is as tight as expected, though neither leading candidate has publicly said he would partner with them.

The vote is being closely watched in Europe. The EU is Israel’s largest trading partner, but relations have come under strain over the war in Gaza. In April, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia renewed a push to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement at a meeting of foreign ministers, but Germany and Italy blocked the move. alqudsWikipedia

Analysts caution that replacing Netanyahu would not necessarily mean a break with the policies driving European criticism, pointing out that Eisenkot has opposed Palestinian statehood. He has, however, promised to crack down on violent settlers. Al Jazeera

Polls close at 22:00 local time (21:00 CET). Final results could take days, and no party is expected to come close to the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member Knesset, meaning coalition negotiations could last weeks or even months.