Israelis Cast Votes as 70,000 Fly Home for Tight Contest

Seventy thousand Israelis have flown home from abroad to cast ballots in Tuesday's election. The vote is widely considered one of the most consequential in the country's history. Polling data released on Friday places incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu almost level with Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief.

Security failures define the campaign. The opposition criticizes Netanyahu for the lapses that preceded the 7 October Hamas-led attacks. Those attacks killed nearly 1,200 people and saw 251 taken to Gaza as hostages. Opposition parties demand an independent commission of inquiry. Netanyahu has long resisted this, arguing it would be biased against him. He instead presents himself as the security expert, citing strategic victories in regional wars and his ties to US President Donald Trump.

Eisenkot leads the newly formed Yashar Party. He anchors a "change bloc" of ideologically diverse parties united by the goal of removing Netanyahu from power. This coalition includes right-wingers Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman, as well as left-leaning former general Yair Golan. Netanyahu must rebuild his alliance with the far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties of his current coalition. That grouping is the most right-wing in Israel's history.

Alleged threats to democracy also weigh on voters. Netanyahu stands trial on corruption charges he denies. He continues to push contentious judicial reforms that sparked mass protests before the war. The question of conscripting ultra-Orthodox men in full-time religious study remains a major point of contention after the government failed to enforce a Supreme Court ruling. In the final days of the race, Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu sought military action that could have triggered a confrontation with Iran before the vote. Military chief Eyal Zamir opposed the move. CNN reported he also sought new US strikes on Iran, which Trump declined to approve. Netanyahu denied both reports. He posted an AI-generated image of a nuclear bomb striking Tel Aviv, a move Eisenkot called hysterical.

The candidates share similar positions on Gaza. Eisenkot has pledged to end Hamas rule within 18 months. He favors a US-led peace plan or military means if needed. Israel has struck Gaza almost daily since last year's ceasefire, targeting Hamas operatives. The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 74,000 people have been killed since the war began. Eisenkot largely supports settlements in the occupied West Bank but wants action against extremist settlers. UN figures show their attacks are at a record high. The two-state solution has largely vanished from mainstream Israeli politics.

About one-fifth of Israelis are Arab, and two Arab party blocs are running. They could become kingmakers in theory. All but one of the leading Jewish parties have ruled out working with them. Some speculate they might informally prop up an Eisenkot-led minority government. Lieberman has ruled out joining such an arrangement. Hundreds of thousands are casting ballots for the first time. Israeli broadcasters will publish exit polls at 22:00 local time on Tuesday. Votes from soldiers and reservists will largely not be counted until Wednesday. That delay could give a late lift to right-wing parties popular with that group.

The race is often framed as a duel between Netanyahu and Eisenkot. Another party leader could take the top job by withholding support for a coalition unless given it. Many fear a deadlock where no bloc reaches a majority. In that scenario, no minority government can be formed. New elections would then be called, with Netanyahu staying on as interim prime minister. Israel held five separate elections between 2019 and 2022 as parties repeatedly failed to cooperate.