Political parties in Israel have finalized their candidate rosters ahead of a general election scheduled for Oct. 27, setting the stage for what many observers describe as the most consequential vote in the nation’s history. The campaign is centered on a high-stakes duel between the polarizing long-term incumbent, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief of staff who has emerged as the primary challenger leading the opposition.
With no single bloc currently holding a clear majority according to early polling, the election remains highly unpredictable. The outcome will determine the future of the Israeli government’s approach to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, its administration of the occupied West Bank, and its complex relationships with regional neighbors and the international community. To govern, a leader must secure a coalition of at least 61 members of the 120-seat Knesset, a task that often involves intense post-election bargaining among the dozen or more parties expected to cross the electoral threshold.
For Benjamin Netanyahu, 77, the election is widely seen as a referendum on his leadership and survival. The longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history, Netanyahu leads Likud, a traditionally conservative party that has become increasingly populist under his tenure. His campaign is currently weighed down by the security failures surrounding the Oct. 7, 2023, attack and his unfulfilled promise of “total victory” in the ensuing wars. Additionally, he faces internal pressure over a controversial military draft exemption for ultra-Orthodox Jews and a divisive effort to overhaul the judiciary. Despite facing corruption charges and an international arrest warrant related to the conduct of the war in Gaza, Netanyahu has vowed to “complete the job” and remains a staunch opponent of Palestinian statehood.
Rising to meet this challenge is Gadi Eisenkot, 66, at the head of the new Yashar! party. A former military chief of staff who previously served in Netanyahu’s war cabinet, Eisenkot brings a profile defined by both military authority and personal loss; his son and two nephews were killed during the Gaza conflict. His platform is built on centrist and center-right appeal, specifically targeting voters concerned about the direction of the current coalition. Eisenkot has called for a formal inquiry into the failures of Oct. 7 and, while he rejects immediate Palestinian statehood, he has advocated for curbing settler violence and showing restraint in West Bank settlement expansion.
The opposition is further bolstered by B’Yachad, a partnership between former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, 54, and Yair Lapid, 62. Bennett, a right-wing nationalist, and Lapid, the leader of the secular Yesh Atid party, previously united in 2021 to successfully oust Netanyahu from power. Their current platform emphasizes national unity and calls for an expanded military draft that includes the ultra-Orthodox community. Also standing in opposition is Avigdor Liberman, 68, leader of Yisrael Beiteinu. Originally a political home for immigrants from the former Soviet Union, Liberman’s secular right-wing party has focused its recent efforts on resisting the influence of ultra-Orthodox rabbis in Israeli public life.
On the left, the newly formed Democrats party seeks to revive a dwindling political movement. Led by Yair Golan, 64, a former two-star general, the party was created through a merger of the Labor and Meretz parties. The Democrats are the primary proponents of a two-state solution and advocate for Israel to maintain its identity as a liberal, secular Jewish state.
Netanyahu’s current governing partners remain influential factors in the race. Itamar Ben-Gvir, 50, leads the far-right Otzma Yehudit party. A national security minister known for his anti-Arab rhetoric, Ben-Gvir has suggested the “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians from Gaza. His counterpart on the far right, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, 46, of the Religious Zionism party, has focused on the de facto annexation of the West Bank. Smotrich has openly advocated for the permanent occupation and Jewish resettlement of the Gaza Strip.
A new hawkish entrant, Amcha Yisrael, led by former brigadier general Ofer Winter, 55, provides an alternative for right-wing voters. While Winter shares the hawkish national security views of the far right, including support for Palestinian emigration from Gaza, he differs by opposing the military draft exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox.
The ultra-Orthodox parties themselves, Shas and United Torah Judaism (U.T.J.), remain critical to Netanyahu’s path to power. Shas, led by the veteran operative Aryeh Deri, 67, represents the Mizrahi community, while U.T.J., led by Yaakov Asher, 61, represents the Ashkenazi haredi community. Both parties prioritize government subsidies and the protection of their religious lifestyle, though their long-standing alliance with Netanyahu has faced recent strain.
Finally, the role of Arab voters and their representative parties could prove decisive. Mansour Abbas, 52, leads the Islamist Raam party and has pioneered a pragmatic approach by participating in a previous governing coalition. By recruiting a Zionist former police commander as a candidate, Abbas is positioning Raam as a potential kingmaker for an anti-Netanyahu bloc. Meanwhile, the Joint List, led by Yousef Jabareen, 54, seeks to maximize the representation of Palestinian citizens of Israel by uniting various ideologies, from communist to nationalist, under a single banner to drive voter turnout.
