Israelis vote in an election shaped by Netanyahu’s wartime record

On Oct.

27, Israelis will vote for parties in a national election for the 120-seat Knesset, the country’s parliament.

The election is seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the Oct.

7, 2023, attack and the wars that followed.

Netanyahu’s opponents say his failures contributed to the attack and that he has avoided responsibility; he has served as prime minister for more than 18 years across three terms.

Thirty-eight parties are competing, but about 11 are expected to win seats, and parties need at least 3.25% of the vote to enter parliament.

No party has ever won a majority alone, so parties must build a coalition of at least 61 seats to govern.

Small parties can therefore have significant influence, and the next step after voting is for parties to try to form a governing coalition.