Israeli Voters Weigh Netanyahu's Fourth Term Against Right-Wing Rivals
Polls are open in the first election since the 2023 Hamas attack, with all major blocs competing from the right of center.
By Mateo Thompson ·
Israeli citizens began casting ballots on Tuesday for the first general election since the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023. The vote determines the future of the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who seeks a fourth term after assembling the most right-wing coalition in the country's history. This administration united far-right ultranationalists with ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties, creating a governing structure that has reshaped domestic policy.
Netanyahu faces a self-styled Zionist opposition that has adopted a right-wing approach to national challenges. The campaign focused on accountability for security failures, disputes over ultra-Orthodox military service, and the exclusion of Arab-led parties from future coalitions. Despite the stakes, analysts note that the shift to the right predates the current government. The collapse of the peace process and repeated security crises over the last two decades eroded the political center. This trend accelerated after the 2018 Nation-State Law formally enshrined Jewish supremacy.
The current administration has faced criticism for accelerating this drift. Netanyahu, who is on trial for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, launched a judicial overhaul in early 2023. This initiative sought to strip the Supreme Court of its power to review government actions. The plan relied on the support of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Both ministers have also supported the surge in violence in the West Bank while deflecting questions about the security lapses that preceded the 2023 attack.
Yehouda Shenhav-Shahrabani, an Israeli sociologist, stated that the entire political system operates within the framework of Jewish supremacy. He argued that no leader presenting themselves as an alternative to Netanyahu can genuinely be described as left-wing. "The horrifying reality we are witnessing is not simply the product of Netanyahu or the far right," Shenhav-Shahrabani said. "It is rooted in Zionist political thought itself, which is structured around the principle of Jewish supremacy."
Ahron Bregman, a senior teaching fellow at King's College London, noted that a change in leadership would likely alter the atmosphere in government. "If Netanyahu loses the election and, say, [Gadi] Eisenkot becomes the new prime minister, the main initial change will be the atmosphere, the vibe, as Netanyahu stirs deep emotions domestically," Bregman said. He added that a new prime minister would likely calm the political climate, though the sharp rightward turn in public opinion since October 2023 would remain evident in any new administration.
Observers point out that the election is not a referendum on the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza, where more than 74,000 people have died. Daniel Levy, a former Israeli government adviser, explained that mainstream candidates have not discussed including Arab-led parties in a coalition. "You would have to have one side arguing it was a good thing and the other arguing it was a bad thing, let alone acknowledging that it was a genocide," Levy said. "So, no, obviously none of that is on the ballot."
