In brief

• Israeli parliamentary elections took place on October 27, pitting Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc against an opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot.
• Poll projections indicate that neither the ruling bloc nor the opposition is expected to secure the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member Knesset.
• The Financial Times noted that at least 67,000 Israelis returned from abroad to vote.
• A change in government would require coalition building among parties with varied stances, particularly on the Palestinian question.

Two Blocs Compete for the Knesset

Voting began Tuesday across Israel, with over 12,000 polling stations set up for the 120-seat Knesset (Co dalej z Netanjahu? Rozpoczęły się wybory w Izraelu – RMF24). The election pits incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party against an opposition coalition spanning from the center-right to the left, led by the centrist Yashar party of Gadi Eisenkot (Izrael wybiera. Netanjahu walczy o władzę, Xi umacnia kontrolę nad Chinami. PB BRIEF – Puls Biznesu). Netanyahu's side includes Likud, two far-right nationalist parties, and potentially the ultra-Orthodox groups that have historically supported him. Opponents accuse Netanyahu of eroding democratic institutions, assuming state powers, and corruption. He denies these claims.

Polls Point to a Hung Parliament

Most polling data suggests that neither major political grouping will achieve a majority (Wybory w Izraelu. Benjamin Netanjahu walczy z Gadim Eisenkotem, a ludzie masowo wracają do kraju – TVN24). The leading rivals differ little on foreign policy issues such as Iran, the Palestinians, and Lebanon, so the outcome depends more on the performance of the current administration (Referendum nad rządami Netanjahu. Izrael wybiera nowy parlament – Bankier.pl).

Turnout from Abroad

The Financial Times reported that at least 67,000 Israelis traveled from overseas to take part in the vote.

Implications of a Netanyahu Defeat

Should the opposition gain the upper hand, Eisenkot would have to build a governing coalition from parties holding sharply divergent views on the Palestinian issue (Mieszkańcy Izraela ruszyli do lokali wyborczych. Według sondaży Netanjahu może stracić większość – Rzeczpospolita) (Wybory w Izraelu. Co, jeśli Netanjahu przegra? – Wirtualna Polska). Netanyahu, who faces an International Criminal Court investigation into alleged war crimes, would give up the office he has held for many years. Winning the most seats does not guarantee the formation of a government, so coalition negotiations are expected to determine the post-election outcome over the coming weeks.

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• Israel Holds First National Election Since October 7 Amid Leadership Contest