TEL AVIV — Israelis cast ballots Tuesday, Oct. 27, in their first national election since the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, with polls suggesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s future may not be settled quickly, CBS News reported.
Surveys differ sharply depending on who conducts them. Right-leaning pollsters favor Netanyahu’s bloc of right-wing and religious parties, while left-leaning pollsters give the edge to the so-called change bloc trying to unseat him. Most show neither side winning the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member Knesset.
“It looks like an indecisive outcome is the most likely outcome,” said Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute. A deadlock could lead to drawn-out coalition negotiations, a minority government or a repeat election.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, argues that only he can form a government without Arab parties and that he needs more time to finish military campaigns in Gaza, Lebanon and against Iran. President Trump endorsed him last week.
The vote comes with Israel still fighting on several fronts and after two direct rounds of conflict with Iran. Final results may take days to emerge.
Sources: CBS News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Clema12 / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
