Israel Votes on 27 October in a Tight Race Between Netanyahu and Eisenkot

Israel holds a general election on Tuesday 27 October, and polling shows a close contest between the incumbent, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot. It is the first national election since the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023, which killed nearly 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken to Gaza as hostages.

Recent polls suggest neither side is likely to win a clear majority on its own. Four recent polls, as reported by Reuters put Netanyahu's bloc at between 49 and 53 seats, and the main opposition bloc at between 50 and 54. Israel's parliament, the Knesset, has 120 seats, and a government needs 61 of them to command a majority.

The voting system explains why that majority is hard to reach. Israel uses proportional representation, meaning seats are divided in line with the share of votes each party list wins. A party must win at least 3.25 percent of the vote to enter the Knesset at all. Governments in Israel have always been coalitions, bringing several parties together to reach 61 seats.

On the right, the election is a contest between Netanyahu's Likud party and its ultranationalist allies. The opposition is led by Eisenkot, a former head of the Israel Defense Forces, the country's military. He formed his Yashar Party last year. He served in Netanyahu's war cabinet, the group that oversaw wartime decisions, until resigning in 2024. He also lost a son, a soldier, in the first months of the Gaza war. Other opposition leaders include former prime minister Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman and Yair Golan.

Arab citizens make up about one-fifth of Israel's population, and two Arab party blocs are running. The Associated Press reported that Arab parties could win enough seats to help decide who becomes prime minister. Separately, the AP has described the vote as a referendum on Netanyahu's leadership, and noted that his biggest threat may come from within his own political base rather than from his rivals.

Voters who want to check their polling station can use the official portal of the Central Elections Committee, which runs the vote, at bechirot.gov.il. The site includes a polling-station locator, explanatory material in simplified language, and tools for identifying improper influence. It also links to a dedicated site for the elections to the 26th Knesset.