Israel votes: Netanyahu’s political future at stake against Eisenkot

Israelis are voting in decisive parliamentary elections, the first since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack. Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister for more than 19 years in total, is defending his security record as opponents blame him for failures before the attack. His main rival, former military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, is promising a change in direction and presenting a centrist alternative. Security, political accountability and the country’s future dominate a campaign shaped by three years of regional conflict.