Israelers vote in first election since 2023 attack as right-wing blocs clash

Israelis cast ballots on Tuesday in a closely contested general election.

This is the first national vote since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza. The conflict expanded to include military operations against Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and Qatar.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to extend his tenure. He currently leads a coalition of far-right ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox parties. Netanyahu is Israel's longest-serving prime minister. He is on trial for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, charges he denies, and faces an International Criminal Court warrant for war crimes in Gaza.

His opposition presents a self-styled Zionist bloc that has embraced a right-wing approach to national challenges. Campaign issues centered on accountability for security failures, ultra-Orthodox military service, and the exclusion of Arab-led parties from government.

Analysts indicate the political shift to the right accelerated under the current government. This follows a long-term erosion of the political center after the collapse of the peace process and repeated security crises. The 2018 Nation-State Law formally enshrined Jewish supremacy. The current administration attempted to strip the Supreme Court of its power to review government actions and flouted rulings on conscripting the ultra-Orthodox minority.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich supported the judicial overhaul to secure their coalitional positions. They also provided cover for increased violence in the West Bank and deflected questions about security failures preceding the 2023 attack.

Yehouda Shenhav-Shahrabani, an Israeli sociologist, stated that the political system operates within a framework of Jewish supremacy. He noted that no alternative leaders can genuinely be described as left-wing. He argued that the current reality is rooted in Zionist political thought rather than being the sole product of Netanyahu or the far right.

Ahron Bregman, a senior teaching fellow at King's College London, said a change in leadership would alter the political atmosphere. He described Netanyahu as a divisive figure who is revered by some and deeply hated by others. Bregman cautioned that any new government would reflect the sharp rightward turn in Israeli society since October 7.

Yossi Mekelberg, a senior fellow at Chatham House, framed the vote as a choice between a functioning democracy and one in name only. He linked the decision to whether Israel maintains the occupation of the West Bank or annexes it entirely, potentially leading to the voluntary migration of its population.

More than 74,000 people have been killed in Gaza according to the source. No mainstream candidates have proposed including Arab-led parties in a potential coalition. In media discourse, references to the leaders of Raam or the Joint List are often used to denounce rivals for considering coalitions with Palestinian politicians.

Daniel Levy, a former Israeli government adviser, said the election is not a referendum on the treatment of Palestinians. He noted that no candidate is arguing the war was a good thing against another arguing it was a bad thing. He stated that the treatment of Palestinians is a consensus among Zionist parties, with differences resting on whether the state or settler militias should lead the oppression.

The election results will determine the next government's approach to the judicial system and the West Bank. The vote will conclude with the counting of ballots and the declaration of the winning coalition.