Russia frees stephen james hubbard after steve witkoff talks

Elections (1)

• David Halpinger says the election pits two blocs that each have roughly half the country behind them, and many voters see the result as existential. Israelis are focused on democracy, the social contract, fair military service, and the character of the Jewish state; Palestinian statehood is largely off the campaign agenda.

Israel (11)

• Netanyahu’s proposed 2023 judicial overhaul triggered protests by hundreds of thousands, who feared it would weaken the judiciary, described as the main check on the government and Knesset. The dispute preceded October 7th and deepened fears that internal division had left Israel vulnerable.
• Netanyahu rejects responsibility for the October 7th failure, arguing he did not receive a phone call early enough to respond. The opposition says it will establish a National Commission of Inquiry, while Netanyahu refuses one that could investigate what went wrong.
• Netanyahu opposed recent arrests of ultra-Orthodox men accused of draft evasion, saying recruitment should proceed without coercion and promising a meaningful draft law if reelected. Critics argue he will not risk losing ultra-Orthodox coalition partners to enforce service requirements.
• Netanyahu attributes Israel’s growing isolation to antisemitism, Muslim immigration in Europe, and Qatari funding of anti-Israel academics, rather than Israeli policy. He describes Israel as a Sparta that may need to make its own weapons, while relying heavily on the Trump administration for U.S. support.
• Gadi Eisenkott presents himself as a unifying alternative to Netanyahu and draws on a career as a well-liked military chief of staff. Born in Tiberias to Moroccan immigrant parents and raised in working-class Eilat, he is a Mizrahi Jew, a background with no precedent among Israeli prime ministers.
• Eisenkott entered government after October 7th, then clashed with Netanyahu over whether to make a hostage deal or continue the war. His 25-year-old son, a reservist, was killed in a tunnel explosion in December 2023; a nephew died the same day, and another nephew was killed nearly a year later.
• Eisenkott quit Netanyahu’s government in June 2024 and later formed his own party. His campaign promises accountability, shared responsibility for military service, and an end to Netanyahu’s avoidance of an inquiry; he has contrasted his family’s losses with the limited military service of Netanyahu’s sons.
• Eisenkott supports working with the Trump administration on Gaza reconstruction and a settlement that removes Hamas from government, by political or military means. In the West Bank, he proposes restoring security control, moving administration out from under Smotrich and police out from under Ben-Gvir, and evacuating illegal settlements in areas reserved for Palestinians under the Oslo Accords.
• Eisenkott does not propose Palestinian sovereignty soon; he says a permanent settlement remains far off but argues Palestinians should have reason to hope. He treats settler violence as a problem Israel created and says the immediate task is restoring the security regime that previously restrained it.
• Israeli voters choose a party, not a prime minister, and parties then compete to assemble a governing coalition. With polls close, the result could be inconclusive; Eisenkott’s allies have discussed passing laws without forming a government to bar candidates facing trial or impose term limits that could affect Netanyahu.
• Opposition voters describe despair and consider leaving; Halpinger says more Jews left Israel than arrived during the last couple of years, reversing a long-running pattern of net immigration. Netanyahu’s supporters see the election as a chance to consolidate right-wing control of institutions, while emigrants also weigh rising antisemitism abroad.

War (3)

• Netanyahu campaigns as the leader who can protect Israel and points to military operations since October 7th, including attacks on Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, exploding pagers targeting Hezbollah operatives, and wars with Iran. He also cites U.S. support, including American participation in an attack on Iran.
• The prolonged war has put unusual strain on reservists, families, and employers; some soldiers have served for 100 days at a time. David Halpinger says ultra-Orthodox men remain broadly resistant to military service despite the end of their exemption, while their parties support Netanyahu’s coalition and receive subsidies.
• The closing report said the United States and Israel had developed plans to strike Iran again after the U.S. midterm elections. Possible targets include Iran’s energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and missile and drone arsenal.