Israelis vote in first election since Oct. 7 attack as Netanyahu seeks to retain power

Israelis voted on Tuesday, Oct. 27, in the election for the 26th Knesset, the country's first national vote since the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, 2023, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fighting to keep power in a tight race. Most of the 12,018 regular polling stations opened at 7 a.m. and were set to close at 10 p.m. The Central Elections Committee counts 7.33 million eligible voters, 543,177 more than four years ago, including about 330,000 first-time voters. Voters choose party lists, and a list needs at least 3.25% of valid votes to enter the Knesset. Military voting began Oct. 21. Acting director-general Dean Livne called the day a celebration of Israeli democracy, and the committee warned of online misinformation. With no absentee voting, tens of thousands of Israelis flew home; the U.S.-based AID Coalition estimated up to 67,000, about half from the United States. Analysts said the result was unlikely to significantly change Israel's security or foreign policy.

Left-leaning outlets focus on stakes and emotion. MS NOW frames the vote as a test of Netanyahu's leadership since Oct. 7, noting the recriminations over the attack. CBS News profiles expatriates: Ronnie Teram Gil-Ad spent about $3,000 for a 36-hour trip, and Yael Natra said the Israel she grew up in is disappearing, citing eroding democracy and division. Right-leaning New York Post leads with procedure, giving polling hours, voter and station counts, the 3.25% threshold and Livne's statement, and says little in its excerpt about Netanyahu's record or voter anxiety. Both sides call the vote historic. They differ in sources: left outlets use voters and critics' concerns, the right uses election officials. Independent outlets partly echo the left, as the Christian Science Monitor follows a returning voter, while Semafor adds analyst views on limited policy change.