General elections will be held in Israel on 27 October. This election will be the first national election after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 and the subsequent wars with Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. This election is being considered most important for the political future of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. There was confusion for some time regarding the date of elections. Israel’s Parliament (Knesset) dissolved itself in May, after which early elections were expected to be held. But government coalition chief Ofir Katz told the parliamentary committee that according to the law, voting will take place only on October 27.
Continuous surveys show that Netanyahu’s coalition of nationalist and religious parties may have to face defeat in this election. However, the opposition also does not seem to have a clear majority to form the government. The political situation may change till the elections. 76-year-old Netanyahu is Israel’s longest serving Prime Minister. He has clearly said that he will contest the elections again and will form the government again after winning. He says that he wants to win this election at any cost.
Effort to save the government
Before the elections, his government is busy getting many new laws passed quickly, so that his alliance remains strong. Recently Netanyahu said that he wants to form not just a right-wing or left-wing government, but a comprehensive national government, which is not dependent on the support of Arab parties. It is clear from this that this time he wants to make national unity and security of the country his biggest election issue.
But recent surveys are raising concerns for them. According to a survey by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, more than 92% of Israelis believe that Iran’s position was stronger in the recent war. While at the beginning of March 40.5% people were in support of Netanyahu, by June this figure dropped to 29.4%. People are still angry over the security lapse during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Apart from this, many people do not consider the ceasefire and Tehran-Washington agreement after America and Israel’s attack on Iran to be in the interest of Israel.
What other issues are there in the elections?
Recruitment of ultra-Orthodox Jews into the army will also be a big issue in this election. Netanyahu’s allies want their community to be exempted from military recruitment, while the military and the common people say that due to continuous wars the army needs more soldiers. Apart from this, judicial reforms, ongoing corruption cases against Netanyahu and post-war arrangements in Gaza will also be election issues. On the other hand, former army chief Gadi Eiseenkot has emerged as Netanyahu’s biggest challenger. In such a situation, the election of October 27 will decide whether Netanyahu will return to power or Israel will get a new Prime Minister.
Also read: War broke out again on Hormuz, US targeted Iran’s missile system
Leave a Reply