Home · World · Oct 25 archive
Netanyahu Faces Close Race as Signs of Fraying Loyalty Evident in Likud Strongholds
· Confirmed
In Short: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a close race as signs of fraying loyalty emerge in his traditional Likud strongholds, according to recent polls.
Gadi Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), is Netanyahu's main challenger, seeking to unseat the incumbent in the upcoming election.
Eisenkot's centrist Yashar party is projected to win more seats than Netanyahu's Likud party, with polls showing the opposition bloc leading 52 to 50 seats.
In traditional Likud strongholds, Eisenkot is described by his supporters as 'dialina,' Moroccan Arabic for 'one of us,' highlighting his appeal to a broader demographic.
Eisenkot's campaign focuses on government accountability, military service reform, and a different approach to managing the war in Gaza.
Netanyahu has campaigned heavily on his security credentials, citing the war launched against Iran in February and his partnership with the United States.
However, some residents in Likud strongholds are considering other options, with some expressing dissatisfaction with Netanyahu's leadership.
The election could reshape Israel's future, with Netanyahu seeking another term despite corruption charges.
Support for Netanyahu has been further challenged by endorsements from figures like former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who has called for Netanyahu's removal.
The election is set to take place amid ongoing tensions and a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with both candidates vowing to end Hamas rule.
Despite the close race, neither Netanyahu's bloc nor the anti-Netanyahu bloc is on track for the 61 seats needed for a majority.
The election will be held on October 27, with many voters expressing concern over the future direction of the country.
Demonstrators rallied in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square on Saturday, three days before the election, highlighting the public's focus on the ongoing crisis.
What this adds
In the lead-up to Israel's October 27 election, signs of weakening support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emerge in traditional Likud strongholds, according to recent polls.
The election could reshape Israel's future, with Netanyahu seeking another term despite corruption charges.
Despite the close race, neither Netanyahu's bloc nor the anti-Netanyahu bloc is on track for the 61 seats needed for a majority.
Background
In the lead-up to Israel's October 27 election, signs of weakening support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emerge in traditional Likud strongholds.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a close race as signs of fraying loyalty emerge in his traditional Likud strongholds, according to recent polls.
What's confirmed
- Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, who is challenging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel's upcoming elections, is a former military chief.
- Exactly a week away from the Israeli Knesset election, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday, during which he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Axios reported, citing two sources with knowledge.
- A tank mounted on a military truck passes an election campaign poster featuring Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the centrist Yashar ("Straight") party, ahead of Israel's general election in Kiryat Shmona, near the border with Lebanon in northern Israel, Tuesday, Oct.
- Many residents remain loyal to Likud, but some are considering other options.
What's still developing
- Netanyahu and his rivals are tied days from the vote, and both camps are fighting with bots, deepfakes and data.
- Several of them show Netanyahu confronting his alleged failings before the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023; others show the opposition being sympathetic to Arab parties (those representing the Palestinian citizens of Israel) which have been perceived by many as kingmakers in the coming election.
- "I don't want the lies to continue," she said.
- "All of our money is at risk," the campaign video said, showing Netanyahu in his earlier Channel 10 interview saying that Israel must "prepare for an alternative economy" amid the myriad of international sanctions facing the country.
- You can reach him on jjaffa@thejc.com The Yashar leader looks to be the frontrunner to form the next government, but will likely face a struggle to assemble a workable coalition Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar is on course to be the largest party in the Knesset after next week’s Israeli elections, the JC’s analysis of the latest polls has found.
- “I want Netanyahu to be prime minister. He’s a leader. I prefer him a million times over Eisenkot,” Ben-Gvir tells me in a rare interview on Oct. 19, referring to Netanyahu’s chief rival, the former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.
- Trump praised Netanyahu as a partner in combat… The United States imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), escalating its campaign against the court over its investigations of the United … CENTCOM announced the completion of the US military withdrawal from Iraq, ending Operation Inherent Resolve in the country.
- Netanyahu’s chief rival, Gadi Eisenkot, attended the rally that was an echo of the weekly ones once held to call for the release of hostages taken into Gaza.
- According to Newsmax, Vance told journalist Mark Halperin that he would not get involved in Israel’s election, explaining that his focus is on the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections.
- Netanyahu and Hegseth discussed "the threats in the region" and the US-Israel partnership in dealing both offensively and defensively with those threats, he said in a brief phone call.
- Trump issued what he called his “Complete and Total Endorsement” of Netanyahu on Sunday, describing him as a “Great Warrior Prime Minister” and praising his partnership with the United States against Iran.
- Netanyahu, who polls show is in a close race to hold on to power, has issued warnings in recent weeks to Iran, the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah and even the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, vowing retaliation in case of an attack.