Politics
Eisenkot mounts the strongest challenge to Netanyahu in deadlocked Israeli election
October 24, 2026 at 05:27 AM
3 reports · 1 in Arabic, 2 in English · over 3 hours
Voters go to the polls Tuesday in a deadlocked Israeli election pitting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against opposition challenger and former army chief Gadi Eisenkot.
- Israeli voters go to the polls Tuesday, with polls projecting neither the Netanyahu nor anti-Netanyahu bloc reaching a 61-seat Knesset majority.
- Polls project Eisenkot's Yashar party will win 20 to 23 seats, ahead of Likud, with Eisenkot leading Netanyahu on suitability as prime minister.
- Yinon Magal, a Netanyahu-loyal TV host, called Eisenkot a Moroccan "monkey," remarks Netanyahu condemned.
- Trump gave Netanyahu his "complete and total endorsement" on Sunday, calling him a "great warrior prime minister."
- Palestinian citizens of Israel, roughly a fifth of the population, are betting on weakening far-right influence in the election.
- Israeli expatriates are organizing return trips to Israel to cast votes against Netanyahu's government.


