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Most polling shows prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition will lose its majority, with Gadi Eisenkot the leading opposition contender What you need to know about Israel’s election Families bereaved in the 7 October attacks began election day with a protest at 6.29 am, the same time Hamas launched its attack just over three years ago. They gathered in the Tel Aviv plaza that has become known as “ hostages square ”, because it was the centre of demonstrations demanding the return of over 200 captives from Gaza . Continue reading...

As Israel votes, hard-right nationalism competes with the country’s founding ideals. The outcome could shape Israel’s identity for years.

Israel is holding its first election since the 2023 Hamas attack that traumatized the nation and triggered the wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, a vote many consider to be the country’s most consequential in decades.

Israel is holding its first elections since the Hamas-led attacks of 2023 triggered a chain of conflicts across the region — a quick guide the key players, issues and when to expect a result.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing his country's first national election since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack. Matt Gutman takes a look at what's at stake and who might unseat Netanyahu.

Netanyahu has spent three years fighting a war that has redrawn the Middle East. His opponents promise change, but Israel has much to lose by abandoning the strategy that brought it this far, writes Gadi Taub. As Israelis head to the polls for the first national election since the October 7 attacks, international media coverage has centered largely on the growing challenge to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the centrist Yashar party (read our profile of Eisenkot here), has emerged as his main contender. Yet amid the attention on Netanyahu’s challengers, much of the coverage’s presumption that his time in power will soon be over, and the vociferous international criticism of the Israeli prime minister, one perspective has been harder to come by here in the United States: the affirmative case for Netanyahu. Today we bring you exactly that, courtesy of Israeli historian and author Gadi Taub, who also offers his view on what will happen after the polls close in Israel. —The Editors To the naked eye, the Israeli election looks like it is about a single person: The right is going to vote for Benjamin Netanyahu, while the left—rather than voting for Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Liberman, or Yair Golan—is going to vote against Netanyahu. In some ways, that’s true—but not because the drama is personal. Rather, Israel is facing a choice between two visions of its future: one personified by Netanyahu’s continued leadership, and the other by his removal. It would do well to opt for the former. Let me explain. Israel has now passed three years of war, and much of Tuesday’s elections concern the beginning of that war: October 7, 2023. One of the most potent criticisms of Netanyahu is that this traumatic day happened on his watch. That’s true. But it’s far less important that it happened than what Netanyahu did in its aftermath.

Tens of thousands of Israelis are returning home to vote in a tight election.

Israelis will go to the polls on Tuesday in what many describe as the most consequential election in years. It's the first vote since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and Israel's war in Gaza. Prime Minister Netanyahu has been campaigning that he'll keep Israel safe. But the opposition says Netanyahu failed to prevent the 2003 attack and is blocking an investigation into it. Nick Schifrin reports.

Israel’s military chief resisted the prime minister, who then pressed in recent days for a separate action, short of an overt strike, according to an official and a person briefed on the matter.

On Tuesday, Israel will hold its first parliamentary elections since the Hamas terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel has been on a war footing ever since. This election is in part a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's aggressive tactics. CBS News chief correspondent Matt Gutman reports.

Tens of thousands of Israelis living abroad are expected to fly in for this month's election. That's according to AID Coalition, a U.S.-based nonprofit focused on strengthening Israel's democracy.

President Trump amps up rhetoric against El-Sayed; Israel is holding its first Parliamentary elections since the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.

A younger generation of Russian-speaking immigrants in Israel is getting ready to vote, many for the first time.

Israeli voters will cast their ballots on Tuesday in the nation’s first elections following the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks. Embroiled in a multi-front conflict and facing historic unpopularity among its allies, the nation and its people are living in a drastically different political landscape than three years ago. The voters will now decide if […]

Israeli prime minister increases alarmist rhetoric as his far-right coalition narrowly trails in polls Benjamin Netanyahu has resorted to increasingly alarmist rhetoric and reportedly put pressure on Israel’s military to take action against Iran as his far-right coalition narrowly trails in the polls ahead of Tuesday’s close-run elections. The Israeli prime minister posted an AI-generated image of a nuclear mushroom cloud destroying Tel Aviv, telling Israeli voters to choose him or risk nuclear annihilation. Continue reading...

‘Enormous reputational damage’

Israel heads into a high-stakes election with Benjamin Netanyahu's political future and legacy on the line as voters weigh his security record and the continuing Iran threat.

Israelis head to the polls Tuesday facing a question that goes beyond whether Benjamin Netanyahu should remain prime minister.

If Benjamin Netanyahu falls from power in Tuesday's election in Israel, the man considered most likely to replace him is Gadi Eisenkot, a retired lieutenant general and former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces.

Israelis are deeply divided over Netanyahu's leadership and moral character, but they largely support settlement expansion and are opposed to a Palestinian state.

Israelis are in the final hours of an intense election season amid reports of a clash between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli military over Iran.

TEL AVIV, Israel — Gadi Eisenkot is as low-key as Benjamin Netanyahu is bombastic. He's a political novice up against the longest-serving, most politically savvy prime minister in Israel's history. And yet, on the eve of Tuesday's elections, Eisenkot poses the most serious threat to Netanyahu's hold on power in years. Why it matters: A victory by the Yashar party leader would upend Israeli politics and could reset the country's strained relationships abroad. The intrigue: The contrast between the two top contenders could hardly be sharper. Their roots: Eisenkot, the son of Moroccan Jewish immigrants, grew up in Eilat, Israel's southernmost city. If he wins, Eisenkot will be the first prime minister of Moroccan descent in Israel's history. Their military backgrounds: Netanyahu served in the Israel Defense Forces' elite special forces unit "Sayeret Matkal" and later went into business and politics. Eisenkot joined the IDF Golani infantry brigade and rose through its ranks as a combat commander until becoming IDF chief of staff. He arrived at his rally on Sunday to the tune of the Golani brigade song from 1974. Their ties to America: Netanyahu is better versed in American politics — and more articulate in English — than many American politicians. Eisenkot is not an "American" politician at all, let alone a professional one. He speaks English with a heavy Israeli accent and doesn't deliver catchy soundbites. He does not enjoy being on TV. At his final campaign rally Sunday before about 1,000 supporters, Eisenkot was visibly uncomfortable being in the spotlight, even when the crowd cheered him on. Their trustworthiness: Netanyahu's credibility with the Israeli public has been battered by his long-running corruption trial, his political tactics, his refusal to take responsibility for the failures that led to October 7 and accusations of duplicity in his handling of the Iran war. Eisenkot is seen as a straight shooter, even among many of his opponents. Zoom in: The failure to prevent the October 7 attacks spurred Eisenkot to challenge Netanyahu. Eisenkot, who joined Nƒetanyahu's emergency cabinet shortly after the attacks, lost his son during the war. He later lost two of his nephews in the war. Zoom out: Netanyahu has cultivated a vast network of donors, lobbyists and supporters in American power corridors for the past half-century. Bibi is a household name in America — for better and worse. Eisenkot, on the other hand, is almost anonymous in Washington. Very few people know him personally, even within Jewish organizations. He did spend time in America in the 1990s studying for a master's degree at the U.S. Army War College. Eisenkot's main connection to the U.S. was through the military, particularly his relationship with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Joseph Dunford. After retiring from the IDF in 2019, Eisenkot spent a year as a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. The numbers: Eisenkot is leading Netanyahu by 8 to 10 points in most pre-election polls. While Netanyahu is toxic among at least half of the voters, polls show Eisenkot enjoys high likability across the board. Netanyahu's efforts to publicly vilify him have been so far unsuccessful. The big picture: Eisenkot ran on a center-right platform. He did not make any sweeping foreign policy pronouncements and took pains to steer clear of any public positions that would allow Netanyahu to paint him as weak. Bibi tried to do it, anyway. Eisenkot has expressed opposition to a Palestinian state under current conditions. He has committed to taking strong steps to crack down on Jewish terrorism against Palestinians in the West Bank. He also pledged to end Hamas' control of Gaza within 18 months of taking office, either through diplomacy or military force. Eisenkot supported the war against Iran and strikes on its nuclear facilities. But he opposed Netanyahu's attempt to use military power to force regime change, calling it unrealistic. Eisenkot supports continuing economic pressure on Iran and building a regional alliance with the Arab world to curb Iranian influence. What to watch: Eisenkot has operated under the assumption that Netanyahu would be endorsed by President Trump. He tried to use his good relationship with GOP mega-donor Miriam Adelson to lobby Trump to stay on the sidelines. When Trump finally endorsed Netanyahu last week and again on Sunday, Eisenkot didn't criticize him, but rather praised the president's support for Israel. "I am convinced President Trump will work in full cooperation with any leader that will be elected by the Israeli people," Eisenkot wrote on X Monday.

Two new parties in Israel are demanding that ultra-Orthodox Jewish citizens be formally included in Israel's mandatory military service. The debate has become a top issue ahead of the Israeli elections. CBS News' Dov Lieber reports.

Israelis are about to vote to choose their next government. The race is wide open, and Benjamin Netanyahu's political fate could hinge on a couple key factors.

Even if Tuesday's pivotal elections in Israel mark the end of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decades-long political career, his legacy in the Israeli-occupied West Bank - of massive settlement expansion, the displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians and the empowerment of armed settler extremists - will likely endure.