Israel's next election: Who's leading in polls and what's at stake? – Al-Monitor

Israel will hold general elections on October 27, following the Knesset's agreement to dissolve parliament. This election, a rare instance of the Knesset completing its full term, will test Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political future amid deep divisions, particularly over military service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews. The opposition has called for Netanyahu's resignation due to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and his ongoing corruption trial.

• Recent polls from Channel 13 and Kan indicate the Yashar party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, is currently in the lead with 24 Knesset seats, narrowly ahead of Netanyahu's Likud with 23 seats.
• The Basic Law on Torah Study, recently approved, enshrines Torah study as a state value, bolstering efforts to maintain military service exemptions for yeshiva students.
• Key campaign issues include Netanyahu's leadership, the US-Iran military conflict, and the contentious issue of military service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men.
• Eisenkot, whose son and nephews were killed in military service, has emerged as Netanyahu's strongest rival, with polls showing him leading Netanyahu in a head-to-head matchup for the premiership.