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Israel's economy has proved surprisingly resilient through three years of multi-front conflict, with GDP growth of 2.9 percent in 2025, a record-breaking tech sector and a booming stock market. Yet record military spending, widening deficits and high living costs have made the economy a top concern for voters ahead of the October 27 election.
Rabbi Dov Lando, the 96-year-old spiritual leader of the Degel HaTorah party within Prime Minister Netanyahu's coalition, is facing intense backlash after a video surfaced of him calling Zionism a catastrophe for the Jewish people and saying Jews might have been better off without a state. The controversy comes weeks before Israel's election, where the ultra-Orthodox community's role — particularly military conscription — is a central issue. Opposition politicians have condemned the remarks, while Netanyahu has stayed silent, caught between his Haredi partners and his right-wing base.
Rabbi Dov Lando, 96, spiritual leader of the Degel HaTorah party, suggested Jews might have lived better without a state and said soldiers killed in Israel's wars die because their rabbis teach a "distorted Torah." The resurfaced remarks, first published in February 2025, have ignited a fierce debate three weeks before the October 27 election, exposing fractures in Prime Minister Netanyahu's right-wing coalition over ultra-Orthodox military exemptions.
Israel's upcoming parliamentary election on October 27 comes amid deep internal divisions over judicial reform, conscription, and leadership—while the Palestinian issue is sidelined. The vote is framed as a referendum on Netanyahu and the far-right coalition, with Palestinian citizens facing violence and marginalization.
A poll shows 70% of Jewish Israelis are concerned about risks to the election's integrity as Netanyahu's government faces widespread criticism. President Herzog and opposition leaders warn of political interference and potential violence, while allegations of bias and budget cuts to the election committee add to tensions before the October 27 vote.
Strained US-Israel relations cast doubt on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's long-standing strategy of leveraging his influence with President Donald Trump ahead of Israeli elections. As the Iran war stalls and criticism of Israel grows in the US, many believe Netanyahu's Trump card is losing its effectiveness. His Washington visit aims to revive his image but comes amid a corruption trial and regional conflicts.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces mounting political, legal, and US pressure ahead of a critical October election. His handling of wars with Iran and Hezbollah, as well as corruption charges, could end his long political career.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is caught between a fragile ceasefire with Iran, ongoing war in Lebanon, and domestic political pressure ahead of elections. A new flare-up was triggered by an Israeli strike on Beirut, while Iran insists any broader deal must include a Lebanon ceasefire. Netanyahu's political rivals are seizing on his failure to deliver promised total victory, and polls show slipping support.
Seven months after a ceasefire agreement brokered to halt the Gaza war, Israel's military operations have continued, killing at least 880 Palestinians. Analysts see PM Netanyahu's stalling as a political move to appease far-right allies ahead of elections, amid a systematic destruction campaign and warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe.
