Updated

Israelis vote in a general election on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 77, facing a close challenge from former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, 66. Al-Monitor's Iran desk carried two profiles of the rivals. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, is trying to persuade voters he remains the only candidate able to keep them safe, though his security-first reputation was badly damaged by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack. Eisenkot has channelled public anger over that failure and is running level with Netanyahu in polls. He is known for dressing in black, speaking halting English and answering interviews in bullet-point lists, which some voters may see as a strength. The outcome matters for Israel's posture toward Iran, though the sources focus on domestic politics.