Israel's general election candidates explained as Netanyahu fights for political survival

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be facing his last days in power as the country gears up to head to the polls.The pivotal general election will be held tomorrow (October 27), for the first time since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which killed at least 1,195 and plunged the Middle East into turmoil, with Israel going to war in Lebanon and Gaza and launching airstrikes against Iran.Beleaguered Netanyahu - known as ‘Bibi’ - still enjoys the support of America’s president Donald Trump, with the two leading on the conflict against joint enemy Iran.But he has been clinging to declining political power for a while, with the latest polling showing he can no longer rely on widespread support to shore up his far-right coalition.However, the race has narrowed as the vote approaches and his rivals have no clear path to power.Israelis will cast their vote for their preferred party, with seats in the Knesset allocated to politicians on party lists according to proportional representation.Here are some of the leading candidates who will be hoping to fill the 120 seats up for grabs.BENJAMIN NETANYAHUIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fighting for political survival (Reuters)In power for much of the time since 2009, after a first stint as prime minister in the 1990s, Netanyahu has become the face of Israel abroad and a polarising figure at home.Supporters hail Netanyahu as "King Bibi" and see him as the strong leader Israel needs to defend itself in a hostile region. But, wanted by the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes in Gaza which he rejects and on trial in Israel on corruption charges which he denies, he is fighting for his political life.Opinion polls have pointed ​to ⁠a sharp drop for his Likud party since the October 7 attack, which shattered Netanyahu's security credentials. His government's policies on matters of religion and state have also been unpopular among many Israelis.But Netanyahu, 77, is a consummate political survivor. He has said he wants ⁠to form a "broad national" government after the election, if he wins. In the event of a stalemate, he could remain a caretaker prime minister ​for many ⁠months.GADI EISENKOTFormer Israeli army chief of staff and Yashar Party leader, Gadi Eisenkot, speaks during a campaign rally on October 25, 2026 in Tel Aviv (Getty)Former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, 66, ‌lost a son in Gaza combat. He has projected an image as a political outsider, soldier and security hawk whose humble background and family sacrifices stand in vivid contrast to Netanyahu's decades in high office and lingering corruption cases. He heads a new centrist party called Yashar, Hebrew for "straight" or "honest".NAFTALI BENNETTNaftali Bennett speaking during an election campaign event ahead of Israel's general elections (Getty)Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, 54, a right-wing former commando, former Netanyahu aide and ‌high-tech millionaire who has joined forces with centrist former premier Yair Lapid. Their new party is called Together and its messages have focused on healing a traumatised nation and getting the country back on track. Their alliance, despite being on opposite ends of the political spectrum, ousted Netanyahu in a 2021 election.AVIGDOR LIEBERMANAvigdor Lieberman is head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party (AFP/Getty)Former Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman, 68, was once a close ally of Netanyahu. Even ⁠more hawkish than his former boss, Lieberman quit Netanyahu's government in 2018, accusing the prime minister of being too soft on Palestinian militants in Gaza, and has become one of Netanyahu's sharpest critics. His party, Israel Our Home, draws much of its support from the country's ex-Soviet immigrant community.YAIR GOLANYair Golan has led calls for an independent state commission of inquiry into the October 7 attacks (Reuters) Former general Yair Golan, 64, hailed for his rescue of people from one of the Hamas October 7 attack sites, leads the Democrats, founded on the moribund remnants of Israel's historical Labour party and smaller left-wing Meretz.Bezalel Smotrich (R) raises an Israeli flag during Independence Day celebrations in Sanur, West Bank (AFP/Getty)Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, 46, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, 50, have both drawn intense international scrutiny for their far-right policies toward the Palestinians.Smotrich has spearheaded Israel's rapid expansion of West Bank settlements, voicing his hope that it would 'bury' the ‌idea of a Palestinian state.Ben-Gvir, who was convicted in 2007 of racist incitement against Arabs, has promoted capital punishment for convicted Palestinian militants, ​toughened prison conditions for jailed Palestinians and easier gun ownership for Israelis.Both men have advocated for the expulsion of Palestinians from the ‌Gaza Strip and Israel resettling the enclave.ULTRA-ORTHODOX ALLIESNetanyahu has relied on ⁠two ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties, United Torah Judaism and Shas, for his political survival for years. Their demands for their community to be ⁠mostly exempt from compulsory military service, along with their low participation in the work force and reliance on state benefits, have angered many Israelis, all the more so at a time of war.