Lead

As Israel enters a 100-day election campaign ahead of the October 27 general election, the contest is shaping up to be a close and potentially bitter battle between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former IDF chief of staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot. According to analysis in the Jerusalem Post, the two main contenders are running nearly neck and neck, with most current opinion polls indicating Eisenkot is favored as the more suitable candidate for the premiership, while Yashar and the Likud are predicted to receive similar numbers of seats (21-23).

Coverage Comparison

The Jerusalem Post's coverage spans three separate analyses, each focusing on different aspects of the campaign. One piece, by David M. Weinberg, argues that the election is mainly about government responsibility for the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and the government's "outrageous indulgences" during wartime to the ultra-Orthodox (haredi) public. It emphasizes that the campaign is not about classic foreign and defense policy issues, given what it describes as a broad Israeli consensus on those matters.

A second analysis, by Liat Collins, looks at the practical challenges of following the campaign, noting that parties are changing names and merging, making it hard for voters to keep track. She highlights the example of Naftali Bennett, who has led multiple parties and has now registered a party called Bennett 2026, which has formed an alliance with Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid to become known as Beyachad ("Together").

A third piece, by Susan Hattis Rolef, focuses on the campaign's likely tone, predicting it will be "complicated and possibly nasty," with sub-struggles within various sectors, including the national religious, Arab, and ultra-Orthodox communities, as well as divisions within the liberal Right/Center/Left bloc and the Likud itself.

Key Claims

  • The election is mainly about government responsibility for the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, according to the Jerusalem Post.
  • There is a broad Israeli consensus on foreign and defense policy issues, the paper reports.
  • The election campaign for the 26th Knesset has started, with the vote set for October 27.
  • Gadi Eisenkot is perceived as modest, honest, and lacking in charisma, a trait that appears to benefit him among voters, according to the Post's analysis.
  • The Likud party is concentrating on "besmirching" Eisenkot, given his strong poll numbers.
  • The Democrats party held primaries with an impressive turnout, and the party has a relatively clear, left-wing agenda, the paper reports.
  • There is a need for electoral reform in Israel, the Post argues.

Perspectives

Netanyahu and the Likud

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud are focused on discrediting Eisenkot, according to the Post, which notes that Netanyahu has expressed dissatisfaction with the human makeup of the current Likud parliamentary group.

Gadi Eisenkot and Yashar

Eisenkot, leading the new Yashar party, is presented as the anti-Netanyahu candidate: modest, honest, and not impressed by billionaires or luxuries. The Post suggests these qualities are working in his favor among voters.

Party Realignments

Other parties are actively reorganizing, with Bennett and Lapid forming the Beyachad alliance, and the Democrats holding primaries. The Post notes that lists can register until September 7, and many new groups are considering running, likely deciding based on their chances of passing the 3.25% qualifying threshold.