Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, announced on Sunday that general elections will be held on October 27, the latest date legally allowed. The vote is widely viewed as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership since the start of the genocidal war on Gaza.
The Knesset is set to hold the final session of its current term on Friday, making Netanyahu’s far-right coalition government the first in half a century to complete a full four-year term. Parliament said there is no need to enact a dissolution law as the next election is already set by law.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, confirmed in June he would run. The 76-year-old has faced mounting criticism since the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023 — the deadliest in Israel’s history. Critics blame Netanyahu for security failures that allowed armed groups to breach border defenses and take 251 hostages.
Former Israeli army chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot has emerged as Netanyahu’s main rival. A Channel 13 poll shows Eisenkot’s Yashar party narrowly ahead of Netanyahu’s Likud. Eisenkot served in Netanyahu’s war cabinet but resigned in June 2024, saying the government had “completely failed” in Gaza. His son was killed in the war in December 2023.
The government is seeking to pass several laws before parliament recesses on Friday, including judicial reforms and a bill to suspend detention of ultra-Orthodox Jews evading military service. Netanyahu hopes these will boost his electoral prospects.
Opponents also cite his handling of the war as evidence he is unfit. Nearly three years into the Gaza assault, Hamas has not been destroyed as promised, while Israel faces genocide accusations from leading human rights organizations. Netanyahu is also on trial for corruption, facing up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Yossi Mekelberg of Chatham House called the election the most consequential in Israel’s history. “From Gaza to the West Bank, Iran and Lebanon, these issues remain unresolved. Israel’s relations with the world, including the US, have been damaged. This will be the most consequential election since 1948 and also the most toxic,” he said.
Source: www.aljazeera.com