Israel votes in first election since October 7 attacks

Israelis voted Tuesday in the country’s first election since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing a close challenge from former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.

About 7.3 million people are eligible to vote for parties competing for seats in the 120-member Knesset. The BBC reported that turnout during the day was running at its highest level in more than four decades. Israel’s Central Elections Committee said there was no evidence of systematic ballot tampering after several parties alleged irregularities at polling stations.

The campaign focused heavily on responsibility for the October 7 attacks, in which nearly 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, and on the wars that followed. Eisenkot has promised a state commission of inquiry into the security failures surrounding the attacks, while Netanyahu has resisted calls for such an investigation. Netanyahu has campaigned on Israel’s military record and his relationship with US President Donald Trump, who endorsed him.

Final polls placed Eisenkot’s centrist Yashar party narrowly ahead of Netanyahu’s Likud or showed the two leaders nearly tied. Neither Netanyahu’s alliance with far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties nor the opposition bloc appeared assured of the 61 seats needed to govern.

Arab-led parties could influence coalition negotiations, particularly if turnout among Israel’s Arab minority is high. Most leading Jewish parties have ruled out governing with them, although opposition officials have discussed possible support arrangements. The fragmented result expected by pollsters could lead to weeks or months of coalition talks before a government is formed.