Israelis vote in first election since Oct. 7 attacks as polls show no bloc reaching a majority

Israelis vote Tuesday in a general election, their first since the October 7 Hamas attacks and the start of the war in Gaza, with polls indicating that neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc nor the opposition's can win a governing majority. Nearly all polls put the parties aligned with Netanyahu and those aligned with opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, a former Israel Defense Forces chief, at around 50 of the Knesset's 120 seats each, short of the 61 needed. That would force both leaders to seek support from smaller parties. The Joint Arab List and the United Arab List are predicted to win at least 13 seats. Eisenkot and other opposition parties have said they will not form alliances with Arab parties. Thair Abu Ras of the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute said Thursday at a Brookings Institute discussion that high turnout is expected among Israel's Arab minority, about 20% of the population, to send a message about its community's needs. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, has long campaigned on being the only leader who can keep Israel safe, though that approach may be less effective this time.

Left-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing; only right-leaning and alternative/independent outlets had. The right-leaning New York Post leads with the Arab parties, framing them as potential kingmakers if the opposition breaks its pledge. It supplies poll seat counts, the 61-seat threshold, population figures and an analyst's comments. The alternative outlet France 24 takes a different angle, asking whether Netanyahu's security promise will win him the election. Its video-based piece, attributed to correspondent Gabrielle Nadler, offers little detail on seat projections or Arab parties. Both note it is the first election since October 7.