AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Reuters news agency, in a report on the Zionist regime's electoral races, wrote that a number of former supporters of Benjamin Netanyahu in the city of Dimona, one of the traditional strongholds of the Likud party, are now working for the victory of Gadi Eizenkot, his main rival. This election is Israel's first general election after Hamas's surprise attack on October 7, 2023; an attack that, according to Reuters, shook Israel and brought the region into a new era.
This media outlet reported that the October 7 security breach led to a sharp decline in the popularity of the Likud party, and polls over the past months have indicated the possibility of Netanyahu's coalition, consisting of right-wing, far-right, and Haredi Jewish parties, losing its majority.
However, Eizenkot also lacks a clear path to power, and the competition has become tighter on the eve of the elections.
According to data from the Israel Democracy Institute cited by Reuters, about 13 percent of voters have not yet decided on their choice. Among those who voted for Likud in the 2022 elections, 55 percent said they will vote for this party again; while 15 percent lean toward parties opposed to Netanyahu and 14 percent toward other right-wing parties, and 9 percent remain undecided. This situation has turned former Likud voters into one of the main targets of the electoral competition.
This report adds that Gadi Eizenkot, the former Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli army, is attractive to part of the voters due to his family background in the Mizrahi Jewish community and his military record. The killing of his son in the Gaza genocide in December 2023 has also been accompanied by an emotional reaction from some voters. In contrast, Netanyahu still enjoys support in Likud's traditional areas, and some former officials of this party say that a number of voters who had distanced themselves from Likud are returning as the elections approach.
Reuters, noting that Netanyahu has been prime minister for a total of about 18 years over six terms, wrote that even some of those who sympathize with him have called for change. One voter in Dimona said that Netanyahu has done a lot for Israel, but his continued presence in power should no longer continue.
The report ultimately indicates a decline in part of the support for Likud and competition over undecided votes, but emphasizes that the possibility of an electoral deadlock remains, and Eizenkot also lacks a clear path to forming a government.
**************
End/ 345E
