Israeli Election Campaigns Intensify in Final Days

With less than 100 hours until polls open on Tuesday, October 27th, Israeli political parties are entering the final stretch of their election campaigns, where voter turnout is expected to be a decisive factor. Most polls indicate that no political bloc currently has the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member Knesset, prompting party leaders to focus on undecided voters and swing districts. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Gadi Eisenkot of the Yashai! party, and Naftali Bennett of the Bayahad party are employing distinct strategies in the campaign's closing days, though their geographical focus increasingly overlaps. Cities traditionally supporting Netanyahu's Likud party have become key battlegrounds, with Netanyahu aiming to mobilize his base while his rivals seek to attract swing voters or dampen Likud supporter turnout. Online prediction markets like Polymarket show a decline in Netanyahu's prospects and a rise for Bennett in recent weeks, reflecting trading activity rather than polling data. Netanyahu's Likud plans to concentrate efforts in approximately 20 major cities, with Netanyahu and ministers scheduled for five to six events daily. The party is intensifying grassroots work to energize its traditional electorate in areas like Ashkelon, Ashdod, Beersheba, Ofakim, Netanya, and Holon. A joint operational headquarters with the Religious Zionism party will manage volunteer efforts on election day. Gadi Eisenkot is also targeting cities that support Likud, but with a different approach: aiming to attract voters who may lean towards Netanyahu but are not firmly committed. His campaign is investing heavily in Eilat and focusing on development towns and peripheral communities, utilizing his Mizrahi heritage with billboards in Moroccan Arabic stating "our own prime minister." Eisenkot's strategy assumes that even if traditional Likud voters don't switch, they might abstain if they don't feel personally compelled to support Netanyahu. His campaign has identified 40 "golden" cities, including Eilat, Dimona, Beersheba, Netanya, Hadera, Afula, and Holon, as crucial for reaching undecided voters. Resources are being directed away from liberal cities where anti-Netanyahu support is already strong. Naftali Bennett, seeing the gap with Eisenkot narrow, is focusing on direct engagement with undecided voters, including former Netanyahu supporters. He has initiated a WhatsApp campaign and plans informal meetings with Netanyahu critics. Bennett's party has built a network of supporters from those who have interacted with the party online and at events, which will complement the existing infrastructure of the Yesh Atid party, particularly in liberal areas. Bennett's campaign has retained a significant portion of its budget for the final stage, targeting areas like the Haifa suburbs (Krayot), Hadera, Netanya, Rosh Ha'ayin, Modiin, Petah Tikva, parts of Jerusalem, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Yavne, Rehovot, and Ness Ziona, as well as West Bank settlements. The final days see all three campaigns shifting from persuasion to mobilization, with Netanyahu relying on base turnout, Eisenkot challenging political norms in peripheral cities, and Bennett banking on personal engagement. The ultimate distribution of Knesset seats will depend on election day turnout.