Israel heads to polls in high-stakes election challenge to Netanyahu

Polls are closing in Israel in an election widely framed as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership and his handling of Hamas's October 7 attacks. The vote has unfolded against the backdrop of a fragmented party system, with multiple parties competing for support and the outcome expected to shape the next government. Gadi Eisenkot, a former Israeli military chief, has emerged as Netanyahu's main challenger through the newly established Yashar opposition party.

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Polling indicated that Netanyahu could face a stiff challenge to remain in power, although the final result was still being determined as voting ended. The campaign has centred heavily on questions of leadership, security and public trust after the October 7 attacks. Election-day reporting described a busy atmosphere at polling stations, with party volunteers handing out flyers and trying to win over undecided voters at the last minute.

The contest also highlighted the mechanics of Israel's voting system, in which voters choose ballot papers marked with Hebrew letters representing their preferred party. Yashar's ballot paper carries the Hebrew word for "way" or "street", a message intended to suggest that a vote for the party would put Israel on the right path. The campaign has also exposed the crowded nature of the race, with several parties trying to draw support away from Likud and other established blocs.

The election matters because it could determine not only who leads Israel, but also how the country approaches security, governance and political stability after a period of intense national strain. A result that weakens Netanyahu would mark a significant shift in Israeli politics, given his long dominance of the national stage. It would also test whether voters are prepared to back a new challenger built around military credibility and a promise of change.

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The campaign has been shaped by the wider political fragmentation that has long characterised Israeli elections. With many parties competing, small shifts in support can have a major effect on coalition building after the vote. That makes the closing of polls only the beginning of a longer process, since no single party is likely to govern alone and negotiations may be needed to assemble a majority.

Election-day scenes also reflected the ideological range of the contest. Reporting from a Jerusalem suburb described campaign material from the far-right Haredi party Noam, which was not expected to win enough votes for even one seat in the Knesset. At the same time, volunteers from other right-wing parties were said to be concerned about vote splitting, underlining how finely balanced the race may be among competing conservative and religious factions.

Netanyahu's Likud party remains central to the outcome, but the scale of support for Eisenkot's Yashar will be closely watched as results come in. What remains unclear is whether the opposition can translate election-day momentum into enough seats to challenge Netanyahu's path to power. The next stage will be the count itself, followed by coalition talks that could decide whether Israel gets a new government or another period of political deadlock.

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