Israeli Voters Face Off Against Netanyahu in Tuesday Showdown

Israelis head to the polls on Tuesday in a national election that has become a direct contest over the future of Benjamin Netanyahu. The vote functions less as a debate over policy platforms and more as a verdict on the man who first assumed the premiership three decades ago. Netanyahu has governed for 19 of the past 30 years, and the political landscape is now split into two distinct camps: those supporting his continuation and those determined to replace him.

Polls currently show the two sides running close, with the leading opposition challenger, Gadi Eisenkot, positioning himself as the alternative. Eisenkot, a former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, entered politics only four years ago. He is the son of working-class Moroccan Jews and leads a party named Yashar, a term meaning straight or direct. He campaigns on the promise of a country without lies and proposes term limits for prime ministers, stating that power corrupts. Supporters at a recent rally in Modi'in described his plain speaking style as an asset, with some expressing exhaustion over politicians who excel at talking rather than doing.

The opposition coalition includes figures like former prime minister Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman, both of whom hail from the nationalist right and previously worked closely with Netanyahu before their relationship ended. On the far right, the campaign remains centered on Netanyahu's positioning. Yishai Fleisher, speaking for Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party, told voters that Netanyahu tends to drift left and must be pulled further right. His platform includes advocating for increased settlements in the West Bank and Gaza, a ministry dedicated to encouraging the voluntary departure of Palestinians, and the death penalty.

Netanyahu has shaped the terms of the fight through his own campaign materials. His recent posters present a choice between Yamin, the right, and Falastin, Palestine, placing opposition leaders alongside the heads of parties representing Palestinian citizens of Israel, who constitute roughly a fifth of the population. The closing weeks of the race have focused on whether anti-Netanyahu Jewish parties, which are projected to outpoll his bloc but fall short of a Knesset majority, would need to rely on mainly Arab parties to form a government. Pro-Netanyahu media, including Channel 14, have helped keep his opponents on the defensive.

One incident this week drew attention when Channel 14's Yinon Magal referred to Eisenkot as a Moroccan monkey. While speakers at the Modi'in rally addressed the slur, Eisenkot himself did not comment on it. Admirers viewed his silence as a sign of restraint, while critics suggested he may not fully grasp the nature of his opponent's tactics.

The tight polling has puzzled many observers given the challenges facing the country. The deadliest attack in Israel's history occurred on Netanyahu's watch in October 2023. His war in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of more than 70,000 Palestinians, though Israel states a third were Hamas combatants, yet Hamas remains in existence. The conflict has damaged Israel's international standing, and Iran's nuclear threat has not been destroyed as promised. Netanyahu also contends with the fallout from his attempt to curb the supreme court, the Qatargate affair involving his closest aides, and an ongoing corruption trial.

Netanyahu's endurance relies on a loyal base cultivated over three decades, which has remained steady despite reports that he received credible warnings of an attack and failed to act. His allies promote a narrative in which army and intelligence chiefs kept him in the dark, a claim that is unfounded. He is also viewed as a skilled coalition builder, and many anticipate he will outmaneuver rivals in negotiations following the vote.

Opposition hopes rely partly on energy from abroad. Many liberal, secular expatriate Israelis are flying home to vote, a demographic pollsters do not track and one that could prove decisive if the result turns on a single one of the Knesset's 120 seats. On Thursday, a state ceremony marked the 1995 assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, an event Netanyahu avoided by sending a low-ranking minister. Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats and a former general, expressed optimism and hopes opposition leaders can agree on a regional strategic process for long-term security, though he avoided the words peace process.

The word peace has been tainted for many Israelis, but it has not vanished. A video shared widely this week depicted scores of young Israelis at a Negev music festival singing Shir LaShalom, the song Rabin sang before he was shot 31 years ago. For some Israelis, that display and the full flights home suggest the age of Netanyahu may be nearing its end.