Netanyahu faces voters in Israel's first election since October 2023 attacks

On the eve of Israel's first national election since the 2023 October 7th attacks, voters are deeply divided. The war in Gaza has seen little debate, but Prime Minister Netanyahu's leadership, national security and the ruling Likud party's domestic policies are all on the ballot. It's about the future of Israel and how we are going to to manage this state after October 7th, in a lot of matters, but most importantly the Israeli-Palestinian issue, in my opinion. I am only Likud, only Bibi. Bibi is number one in the world, not just in the country, in the world. Opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot has emerged as a centrist challenger to Netanyahu, promising to work to restore Israel's international standing. For these elections, I've decided to vote for Eisenkot because the time has come for someone to start bringing people together. Until now, we've been divided into two camps, and I believe Eisenkot will unite us. This is the central motive guiding me on." Other campaign issues include the cost of living, exemptions from military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews and a judicial overhaul that critics say weakened Israel's democratic institutions. The vote will determine the composition of Israel's 120-seat Knesset.