Israeli voters went to the polls in a tightly contested national election overshadowed by ongoing security concerns and the aftermath of October 7 terror attacks that claimed the lives of 12,000 people. The election has drawn significant attention from Jewish communities worldwide, including dual citizens who traveled to Israel to cast ballots, as absentee voting is not permitted. Among them was Lynda Ben-Menashe, president of the National Council of Jewish Women Australia, who had not voted in Israel for three decades before returning this year to participate.
Ben-Menashe described the election as a critical moment for both Israel and the global Jewish community, amid rising anti-Semitism internationally and recent terror incidents such as the Bondi attacks in Australia which killed 15 people, including a 10-year-old child. She highlighted concerns regarding the perception of Israel and its government abroad, noting that some critics conflate the Jewish state's actions with Jewish identity itself, an issue that she said fuels hostility toward Jewish people globally.
Domestically, the election outcome remains uncertain, with official results showing neither incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc nor his main challenger Gadi Eisenkot’s coalition reaching the 61-seat threshold needed to form a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Netanyahu’s bloc leads with 53 seats, while Eisenkot’s bloc holds 48. Both leaders face the challenge of building coalitions in a fragmented parliament, with concerns that failure to form a coalition could lead to a second election or a minority government.
Netanyahu remains the caretaker prime minister as Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, prepares to task one candidate with forming a government after consulting party leaders. Eisenkot’s Yashar party is believed to have gained broader endorsement among smaller factions, while Netanyahu’s bloc continues to rely heavily on alliances with ultra-Orthodox parties who are opposed to mandatory military service for their communities—a divisive issue among Israelis and an election factor that both sides are navigating.
Political analysts, including Dr. Ran Porat of Monash University’s Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation, have described the road to government formation as “long and convoluted,” noting Eisenkot’s previous refusals to partner with Arab parties, who have secured a record number of up to 19 seats due to increased voter turnout.
The Arab parties’ potential influence in government formation has sparked accusations from Netanyahu and his allies, who allege foreign funding of Arab groups, triggering a formal investigation by Israel’s Shin Bet security service after a request from Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg. These claims, linked to Qatar’s alleged support, are controversial given the country’s indirect connections to Hamas. Eisenkot criticized efforts to delegitimize the election results, describing them as coordinated attempts by Netanyahu’s Likud party.
President Herzog has called for a balanced inquiry, warning against stigmatizing the Arab-Israeli community as a whole. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Rabbi Dr. Benjamin Elton of the Great Synagogue pointed to the strong Arab voter turnout as evidence of Israel’s democratic nature, countering apartheid accusations.
Reflecting the broader diaspora perspective, Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, emphasized the strong spiritual ties many Australian Jews maintain with Israel. He noted the country’s ongoing challenges, including efforts to isolate it internationally and ongoing military threats, stressing that a stable government is essential for Israel’s resilience and future prosperity.