Israel heads into a tightly contested general election after three years of war

Israel votes on Tuesday in its first general election since the 7 October 2023 attacks, with polls showing Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition and the opposition led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot almost level. The campaign turns on security, a state inquiry into the attacks, military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews and the country's identity, while some voters move further right after years of war in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. The result will shape how Israel handles its wars and regional relationships, and so matters to a nation whose land and Jerusalem hold a central place in Scripture's account of the last days.