Eisenkot vs Netanyahu: Term Limits and Gaza Toll Define Israel's Tight Vote

The Israeli electorate heads to the polls on Tuesday to decide who will hold the keys to the Knesset.

The campaign has centered less on traditional left-right divisions and more on a direct challenge to Benjamin Netanyahu. He has served as prime minister for 19 of the last 30 years, creating a political landscape defined by support for or against him. Current polling shows the two camps running nearly even.

Gadi Eisenkot leads the opposition effort as the primary challenger. A former chief of staff in the Israel Defense Forces, he entered politics four years ago and represents a working-class background. His party, Yashar, advocates for strict term limits for prime ministers. At a recent rally in Modi'in, supporters praised his direct style. One attendee, Noa Sadeh, said she wanted a leader focused on action rather than rhetoric.

The anti-Netanyahu bloc is diverse, including former prime minister Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman. Both are right-wing figures who previously collaborated with the incumbent before splitting. On the far right, Yishai Fleisher of the Otzma Yehudit party campaigned in Bet Shemesh. He argued that Netanyahu drifts left and pushed for more settlements and a ministry to manage Palestinian migration.

Netanyahu has framed the vote as a binary choice between the right and Palestine. His posters link opposition leaders with parties representing Palestinian citizens, who make up about one-fifth of the population. A key question is whether the anti-Netanyahu Jewish parties will form a government with mainly Arab parties. Pro-Netanyahu media outlets have kept pressure on the opposition, including a controversial on-air comment describing Eisenkot with a slur.

Observers note the tight race given recent events. The war in Gaza has resulted in more than 70,000 Palestinian deaths, with Israel citing a third as Hamas combatants. The conflict did not eliminate Hamas and affected Israel's international standing. Netanyahu also faces scrutiny over his handling of the October 2023 attacks and an ongoing corruption trial. Oded Levi, a voter who switched sides, cited the incumbent's responsibility for these events.

Netanyahu maintains a loyal base that has withstood criticism about intelligence warnings leading up to the 2023 attacks. His allies argue that military and intelligence chiefs kept him uninformed. The outcome may hinge on the return of liberal, secular expatriates to vote. A ceremony marking the 1995 assassination of Yitzhak Rabin took place on Thursday, with Netanyahu absent. At a Negev music festival, young Israelis sang a song associated with Rabin, suggesting a shift in public sentiment.