Israel election tests Netanyahu’s political standing

Israel is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections on October 27, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeking another term in a contest that will test his political standing after the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023. It is the first election since the attack, and polls described in campaign coverage suggest a close race between Netanyahu’s bloc and a rival bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot. The reported polling points to neither side being likely to win an absolute majority, leaving the election outcome and any subsequent coalition formation uncertain. The polling accounts do not identify underlying survey details, so the estimates offer a broad indication of a tight contest rather than a definitive forecast. Netanyahu’s opponents have made his handling of the October 7 attack, corruption cases and changes to the judiciary central points of criticism. The Crime Minister movement says it has organized protests against him for years over the corruption charges and his government’s judicial overhaul plan. Eisenkot has also criticized Netanyahu’s fitness to remain in office. Netanyahu denies wrongdoing in the corruption cases, which could lead to prison if he is convicted. Netanyahu...