Israelis Vote Tuesday in First Election Since Oct. 7 Attacks as Polls Show Tight Race
Photo: CBS NewsIsraelis vote Tuesday in their first general election since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and the start of the Gaza war, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc and the opposition running about even in polls. Nearly all polls show parties aligned with Netanyahu and with opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, a former Israel Defense Forces chief, each winning around 50 of the Knesset's 120 seats, short of the 61 needed to govern. That could leave smaller parties deciding the outcome. The Joint Arab List and United Arab List are predicted to win at least 13 seats, but Eisenkot and other opposition parties have said they will not ally with them. Over the weekend Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, won a renewed endorsement from President Donald Trump. On Sunday he posted an AI-generated image of a strike on Tel Aviv, warning of a possible Iranian nuclear attack. His main opponent said Netanyahu threatens democracy.
The right-leaning New York Post leads with Israel's Arab minority, about 20% of the population, as a possible swing force. It supplies the seat projections, notes that Eisenkot has ruled out alliances with Arab parties, and quotes researcher Thair Abu Ras on expected high turnout. Its headline calls the Arab parties furious. The left-leaning CBS News is much briefer, saying Netanyahu's Likud trails in polls and pointing to a Matt Gutman report. That differs from the Post's picture of two near-equal blocs. Both note this is the first vote since Oct. 7. Independent outlets add another angle: Semafor reports a tie and the dueling warnings, while France 24 asks whether Netanyahu's security pledge still works.
How the sides differ Right sources focus on Arab parties' potential kingmaker role and seat math; left sources briefly stress Likud trailing; alternative sources highlight Netanyahu's security pitch and campaign rhetoric.
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CBS News gives a short item saying Netanyahu's Likud is behind in the polls before Tuesday's first election since Oct. 7, and points to a report by correspondent Matt Gutman.
Semafor reports a tied race, Trump's endorsement and the rival apocalyptic warnings. France 24 asks whether Netanyahu's long-running security promise still resonates after Oct. 7.
The New York Post focuses on Arab parties as possible kingmakers, with seat projections, the opposition's refusal to ally with them, and Thair Abu Ras on expected Arab turnout.