Benjamin Netanyahu Faces Tight Election

Summary

Updated Oct 23, 7:31pm ET

Benjamin Netanyahu is fighting to remain Israel’s prime minister as polling cited in coverage shows his Likud party and its allies short of a Knesset majority. His main opposition, led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, also appears short without support from Arab parties. Israelis vote Oct. 27 in the first national election since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack and the wars that followed. Palestinian citizens make up about one-fifth of Israel’s population, making their turnout potentially decisive. Netanyahu has centered his campaign on confronting Iran and rejecting Arab parties. Eisenkot says Netanyahu failed to take responsibility for Oct. 7. A government may not form immediately.

Left and right

From the left

Left-leaning outlets framed the race as a wartime reckoning, stressing disillusionment with Netanyahu and the chance that opponents could remove him. PBS NewsHour lingered on dissatisfaction with his handling of the Hezbollah war. The Guardian emphasized Arab voters’ possible role, with Netanyahu’s side making cooperation with Arab parties politically toxic. MS NOW focused on Trump’s break with U.S. tradition in backing Netanyahu.

From the right

Right-leaning outlets treated the vote as a high-stakes judgment on leadership after the Oct. 7 disaster, with Iran as the looming security test. World News Group framed Israelis as choosing whether to continue Netanyahu’s government or turn to a new one. CBN emphasized the prospect of renewed strikes on Iran and Tehran’s warning of costly retaliation.

Benjamin Netanyahu Faces Tight Election

Summary

Left and right

From the left

From the right

Both sides, every morning

Articles

Left6

Center3

Right2

Also today