# Israel votes Tuesday in tight race for Netanyahu's future > Israelis head to the polls in a hotly contested election that could reshape their government after three years of war on multiple fronts. - Title: Israel votes Tuesday in tight race for Netanyahu's future - Summary: Israelis head to the polls in a hotly contested election that could reshape their government after three years of war on multiple fronts. Israel holds… - Keywords: israel, benjamin netanyahu, elections, knesset, gadi eisenkot, arab israelis, ultra-orthodox draft, gaza war, iran, donald trump, news, votes - Source: CBS News — https://cbsnews.com/news/israel-election-benjamin-netanyahu-political-fate-key-factors - Author: Dov Lieber - Published: 2026-10-26T16:54:00+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: israel, benjamin netanyahu, elections, knesset, gadi eisenkot, arab israelis, ultra-orthodox draft, gaza war, iran, donald trump, news ## Israelis vote Tuesday in tight race After three years at war on multiple fronts, Israelis go to the polls Tuesday in a hotly contested election. Polls show an incredibly tight race with no guarantee of a quick outcome. ## Polls show conflicting predictions Right-leaning pollsters give an advantage to Netanyahu's right-wing and religious bloc, while left-leaning pollsters show an advantage for the change bloc opposing the incumbent. ## Neither side likely to win decisively Most polls show neither side will win a decisive majority of the one hundred twenty seats in the Knesset, Israel's parliament. This could lead to protracted negotiations or even another election. ## Indecisive outcome most likely Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, said an indecisive outcome is the most likely outcome of Tuesday's election. > It looks like an indecisive outcome is the most likely outcome. ## First election since October seventh This is the first election since the October seventh, twenty twenty-three attacks by Hamas, which authorities acknowledged as Israel's most catastrophic security failure since the country's founding in nineteen forty-eight. ## Netanyahu seeks another coalition Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's longest serving prime minister and leader of the Likud party, seeks to form another coalition with ultranationalist and Jewish religious parties. ## Netanyahu's two main arguments Netanyahu argues only he can form a government without Arab parties, which he says would endanger the country. He also says Israel's campaigns in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran are ongoing and need more time. ## Trump endorses Netanyahu strongly President Trump offered a full-throated endorsement of Netanyahu last week, reiterating firm support for the war against Iran launched jointly almost eight months ago. > If Israel has the wrong Leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so. ## Gadi Eisenkot leads the opposition Former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot, who leads the centrist Yashar party, is the front-runner to lead the change bloc if it wins enough seats to build a coalition. ## Eisenkot frames himself as uniter Eisenkot lost his son and two nephews serving in Gaza. He frames himself as a humble veteran who wants to reunite Israel after years of division he blames on Netanyahu. ## Arab turnout could decide the race Arab Israelis make up around twenty percent of Israel's population. Higher Arab turnout makes it less likely Netanyahu can form another government within his current coalition. ## Ultra-Orthodox draft divides coalitions Two new parties entering this election are focused on challenging Netanyahu's alliance with ultra-Orthodox parties by demanding ultra-Orthodox Jewish citizens be formally included in mandatory military service. ## Stalemate could trigger new elections If neither bloc wins a clear majority, parties could break promises and switch sides, form a minority government, or trigger new elections.Between twenty nineteen and twenty twenty-two, Israel held five elections due to electoral deadlock. ## Key takeaway Israel holds elections Tuesday in a tight race where neither Netanyahu's right-wing bloc nor the opposition change bloc is likely to win a decisive majority, risking prolonged negotiations or another election.