The Arab parties have long been kept on the political sidelines. But stunning turnout by their supporters makes the Arab minority an Israeli political reality that cannot be ignored.
A banner for the Likud party and its leader, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, with the slogan, “The Right or Palestine.” Other candidates in the elections are to the left of it.
Supporters and opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have expressed intense anxieties about isolation abroad, security at home and the future of Israel’s identity.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, speaking to supporters in the food court of a shopping mall in Holon, Israel, during a campaign visit this month.
Hundreds of Palestinian families fled their homes as the Israeli military raided Hebron. The operation came a day after Palestinian gunmen killed two soldiers.
The Oct. 7 attacks marred Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s image as Mr. Security. Ahead of elections, he’s trying to sell Israelis on the new, hawkish version of himself.
Mr. Eisenkot, an ex-military chief leading in the polls, calls the Israeli prime minister an “anti-leader.” But his low-key campaigning style is worrying supporters.