Two men wearing suits look ahead. It is Gadi Eisenkot and Benjamin Netanyahu in a composite image. Image source, Reuters / Getty Images
Image caption,

Polling published on Friday suggests Gadi Eisenkot (left) is in a tight race with incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu (right)

ByTom BennettJerusalem
  • Published22 October 2026
Updated 25 October 2026

Israel heads to the polls on Tuesday for what many view as one of the most pivotal elections in the country's history.

It's the first election since the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on Israel and its subsequent wars and conflicts across the region - in Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.