Israel goes to the polls in election that tests Netanyahu's political longevity
According to the Wall Street Journal, the opposition gains strength in the first vote since the October 7th attack, but may still not reach a majority of 61 seats
BY THE X-TRADER NEWS NEWSROOM · REPORTING FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL · 2 MIN
Israel is holding a high-stakes election, seen as a referendum on the longest-serving prime minister in the country's history. According to The Wall Street Journal, Benjamin Netanyahu faces a critical leadership test, amid the strengthening of opposition parties.
It is the first vote in Israel since the October 7 attack and the wars that followed in the region. According to the channel's analysis, the outcome will depend on Netanyahu's actions before, during and after the attack. The prime minister argues that only he can deliver security and total victory over Hamas, Iran and Iranian allies.
Polls cited by the WSJ indicate that about 60% of Israeli Jews want a new prime minister. Netanyahu has been in power, on and off, for around 19 years, since his first term in 1996. Although he is highly divisive, he has a solid base of voters, which highlights his experience and his relationships with world leaders.
Fragmented opposition with similar security discourse
The main opponent is Gadi Eisenkot, who, according to recent polls, has a slight advantage as the country's largest party. He entered politics in 2022, after a long military career, and was Netanyahu's chief of staff. His supporters highlight his integrity. Recent opposition moves have called for an independent state commission to investigate the security breach leading up to October 7th.
According to the WSJ, Eisenkot and Netanyahu sound similar on national security issues, including opposition to a Palestinian state and the wars in Lebanon and Gaza. The differences appear in domestic politics: Eisenkot promised to toughen up the fight against settler violence in the occupied West Bank. In the report's assessment, Israeli society has moved to the right and become tougher in relation to the wars in Gaza, Iran and Lebanon, which is also reflected in the opposition.
Two other parties, led by Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman, tend to the center-right. There are still Arab-Israeli parties in Parliament, and a high turnout of Arab voters could influence the result.
What to observe during the investigation
The four main Jewish opposition parties are leading in the polls, but they still do not have the votes needed for a 61-seat majority and may need the support of Arab parties. Some members of this opposition have already said that they will not sit down with Arab-Israeli parties, which complicates the formation of a coalition.
The polls close at 10pm (Israel time) on Tuesday. The first results will come out on Wednesday morning, but the final result will take days. The transcript does not contain economic projections, but, for investors, the period of uncertainty about the composition of the government is a point of attention, to be monitored by electoral participation and exit polls, according to reporter Anat Peled.
Automatically translated from Portuguese.
