Polling published on Friday puts Gadi Eisenkot in a tight race with Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel's election. Eisenkot, a former military chief who leads the newly formed Yashar Party, is the main figure in the change bloc as the campaign enters its final stretch.
The numbers point to a contest that may not deliver a clear winner. Neither political bloc is projected to win the 61 seats needed to form a majority government, which leaves the next phase to coalition bargaining after the vote.
Eisenkot and the change bloc
Eisenkot leads the newly formed Yashar Party and anchors the so-called change bloc. That bloc includes Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman, and Yair Golan, giving it a lineup built to challenge Netanyahu without relying on a single party majority.
Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar Leads Polls on Election Day also reflects how close the race has become in the final days before the vote. With proportional representation in Israel, even a narrow polling edge does not by itself produce a government.
Netanyahu’s path back
Benjamin Netanyahu would need another alliance with far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties to return to power. His current governing coalition is the most right-wing in Israel's history, and he has framed himself in the campaign as "Mr Security".
The race is taking place against a security-driven campaign. The opposition bloc is criticizing Netanyahu for the security failure that led to the 7 October Hamas-led attacks, in which nearly 1,200 people were killed and 251 people were taken back to Gaza as hostages.
Tuesday exit polls
Netanyahu also faces an ongoing trial on corruption charges that he denies, while pursuing contentious plans for reforms to the judicial system. The opposition wants an independent commission of inquiry into the attacks, keeping the security question at the center of the final debate.
Israeli broadcasters will publish exit polls at 22:00 on Tuesday, giving the first immediate read on whether Eisenkot's challenge has narrowed into a governing path or left both sides dependent on post-election deals.
