Israel Votes Tuesday as Netanyahu Trails; Trump Aides and Palestinian Voices Weigh Outcome
Photo: The New York TimesIsraelis vote Tuesday in their first general election since the October 7 attacks and the Gaza war. Polls show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition struggling to win the parliamentary majority needed to form a government. Netanyahu, who has served about 19 years across three stints as prime minister, trails former Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot in the polls. President Trump endorsed the Likud leader last Sunday, calling him a warrior prime minister and a partner against Iran, and pointing to joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran and Israel's fight against Hezbollah. US officials told Axios that Trump's advisers believe a Netanyahu loss could make it easier to advance the president's Middle East agenda, because his potential successors would want close ties with Washington. Axios also reported that several top advisers have grown dissatisfied with Netanyahu over regional priorities in the past six months. Envoy Tom Barrack has doubted Israel's military operations in Syria, and Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have been frustrated. Diana Buttu, a Palestinian Canadian lawyer in Haifa, told Jacobin she will vote but does not expect a new prime minister to stop settlements. She said Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir have pushed some of the harshest policies toward Palestinians. Palestinian elections are planned for next month.
The right-leaning New York Post leads with Washington's view. Its headline and text rely on US officials speaking to Axios, on Trump's endorsement of Netanyahu, and on advisers Barrack, Kushner and Witkoff. It frames a Netanyahu defeat as a possible opening for US policy. Left-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while alternative/independent and right-leaning outlets had. The alternative outlets, Jacobin and Truthout, take a separate angle, centered on Palestinians. Jacobin interviews Buttu on the death penalty law and the planned Palestinian elections. Truthout carries a Gaza-based writer saying there is little hope the vote will ease suffering. Both say a change of government would bring little change for Palestinians, while the New York Post does not mention Palestinians in the portion available.
How the sides differ Right sources stress Trump advisers seeing opportunity if Netanyahu loses; alternative sources stress continuity for Palestinians; left sources have not covered it.
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Jacobin interviews Palestinian Canadian lawyer Diana Buttu, and Truthout carries a Gaza-based writer. Both doubt that a new Israeli government would change conditions or policy for Palestinians.
The New York Post leads with Axios reporting that US officials say Trump's advisers see opportunity if Netanyahu loses, alongside Trump's endorsement and the advisers' reported dissatisfaction.