Prime Minister Netanyahu bets on security ahead of Israel’s elections — Cyprus Mail
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is building his campaign ahead of the October 27 parliamentary elections around the image of a politician capable of guaranteeing the country’s security. At the same time, his position is weakened by Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which occurred during his term in office. This was reported by Cyprus Mail.
The slogan of the right-wing Likud party, led by Netanyahu, is “Netanyahu does not give up.” According to most polls, the party may lose about a third of its seats in parliament. In campaign speeches and short videos, the prime minister portrays his opponents as weak leftists who, he claims, lack the resolve to fight Israel’s enemies and stand up to foreign critics.
Security failure at the center of the campaign
Yohanan Plesner, president of the nonpartisan Israel Democracy Institute, noted that Netanyahu has not previously contested an election after such a serious failure in the security sphere. According to him, the vote will largely be an assessment of the incumbent prime minister’s and his government’s responsibility for the events of October 7 and for Israel’s response.
In recent weeks, Netanyahu has denied media reports that Middle Eastern partners had allegedly warned him about a possible Hamas attack. His political rivals are using these accusations.
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The war in Gaza and military action against Hamas allies, including Hezbollah and Iran, have become an important part of Netanyahu’s rhetoric. He says the conflict has already changed and will continue to change the region. At the same time, Israel’s actions in Gaza, where, according to the report, tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed, have increased the country’s diplomatic isolation.
Campaign against Eisenkot
Netanyahu’s main rival is named as former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, who leads the new centrist Yashar party. Likud published posts, including artificial intelligence-generated images, showing Eisenkot alongside leaders of Arab parties.
Netanyahu also warns voters that his opponents could form a government with the support of Arab factions which, he claims, would be too conciliatory toward Palestinians. Amotz Asa-El, a political analyst at the Shalom Hartman Institute, believes this tactic may not work given Eisenkot’s military experience. In his view, Netanyahu’s strategy may be to prevent the formation of an alternative government and retain the post of caretaker prime minister until possible new elections.
