Israelis vote Tuesday in crucial parliamentary elections

Israelis are heading to the polls for the first parliamentary election since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack. The vote tests Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s record, including security failures before the attack and his handling of the wars that followed. The cost of living, military-service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews and the controversial judicial overhaul are also key campaign issues. In Sderot, Shimon Elmaliah said he would support centrist challenger Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief whom he believes can bring Israelis together.