Israel to Hold General Election on October 27...Netanyahu Vows "Certain Victory"

Approval Rating Plummets to 29.4%... Negative Sentiment Grows
Prolonged War Fuels Rising Opposition to Ultra-Orthodox Parties

Reuters Yonhap News

The Israeli parliament has announced that general elections will be held on October 27. This will be the first general election since the outbreak of fighting with Hamas in Gaza in 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared his intention to run for re-election, but as his approval ratings have plummeted, there are growing predictions that his re-election will be difficult.

According to The Times of Israel (TOI) on July 12 (local time), the Knesset, Israel's parliament, issued a statement saying, "General elections will be held on October 27, in accordance with the legal deadline," and added, "This parliament will be dissolved after its session ends on the 17th." With this announcement, Netanyahu's coalition government will complete its full four-year term in October. This will be the first time since 1973 that a government in Israel has served a full four-year term.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has officially confirmed his bid for re-election and expressed confidence in victory. In a recent press conference, he stated, "I will form a broad national cabinet that goes beyond a right-wing coalition and includes both right and left political blocs."

However, his current approval rating has hit rock bottom. In a recent poll by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Prime Minister Netanyahu's approval rating stood at 29.4%, dropping below 30%. This marks a sharp decline from 40.5% recorded in early March. Additionally, more than 92% of respondents assessed that Iran had won the recent Middle East war and expressed negative views regarding the current cabinet's foreign policy.

In the October general election, Netanyahu's contenders are expected to include Gadi Eisenkot, former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and current leader of the Ashardang party, as well as Naftali Bennett, former prime minister and current leader of the Together Party. As Netanyahu's approval rating has significantly decreased, efforts by the Israeli opposition to unify behind a single candidate who could end his long rule are becoming more visible.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has already lost considerable popularity due to personal corruption scandals, and growing public resentment toward the ultra-Orthodox parties included in his coalition has accelerated the decline in support for his government. The ultra-Orthodox, known as Haredi, are a closed religious community within Judaism whose male members have thus far been exempt from military service. However, as the war has dragged on, calls for the conscription of these individuals have grown, while the ultra-Orthodox parties continue to oppose such measures.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.