TEL AVIV — After three years of navigating war, crisis and global outcry, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing one of the most significant electoral tests of his decades-long political career.As Israelis go to the polls on Tuesday, Netanyahu’s party is neck and neck with former Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, who has emerged as his strongest rival in a campaign that has revolved around everything from Israel’s security and military conscription to bread-and-butter issues like the economy.Crackdown in the West Bank days ahead of Israeli elections00:58Why is this election so important?This is the first nationwide election in Israel since the Oct.7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks, the deadliest day in the country’s history.The attacks, which saw 1,195 people killed and 251 taken into Gaza as hostages, triggered a major security crisis that led to three years of war on multiple fronts.
There are few households in Israel that haven’t been affected in some way by the events that have played out since, leaving a sense of profound grief and insecurity that lingers across Israeli society.For most Israelis, the man who has defined the continuing legacy of October 7 is Netanyahu.
Many of his opponents believe he has repeatedly evaded responsibility for the intelligence failures leading up to the attacks and what is widely seen as the security forces’ inadequate response.A protester wears a Netanyahu mask at a demonstration for an inquiry into the Oct.7 attacks in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square.Jack Guez / AFP via Getty ImagesBibi, as he’s commonly called, has led Israel for nearly 19 of the past 30 years, with security for many years a core part of his pitch to voters.
The 77-year-old has survived political defeats before, only to come back stronger, but a groundswell of opposition could make this one of the most formidable challenges of his political career.The election is about more than just political survival for Netanyahu — it’...