Israeli general election set for October 27: reports

Parliamentary elections will be held in Israel on October 27, and according to many local media reports, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking a new term after several unstable years marked by the war in the Gaza Strip.

According to the law, the next election is planned to be held on October 27, but earlier dates are also being discussed.

Opinion polls show that it may be difficult for both Netanyahu and the opposition to gain a majority.

Israeli coalitions usually consist of several parties.

Former Israeli defense chief Gadi Eisenkot has emerged as the incumbent’s chief challenger months before the vote.

Eisenkot’s new central party is Yaşar! (Hebrew for “Straight!”) is rapidly gaining popularity and even ranked first among Netanyahu’s conservative-nationalist Likud Party in a recent opinion poll.

Eisenkot entered politics after serving as defense chief between 2015 and 2019.

The 66-year-old studied political science in Haifa and is considered an expert on the Lebanese Hezbollah militia.

The son of Moroccans, he was born in Tiberias in northern Israel.

He is a father of five children and is seen as a down-to-earth character.

Eisenkot’s son and two nephews were killed in the war in the Gaza Strip.

Many Israelis sympathize with the casualties, which contrasts with Netanyahu’s experience: The prime minister’s son, Yair, has been living abroad since the start of the war in October 2023 and is not serving in a combat unit.

The parliament is expected to hold its last session before the vote on July 17.