Netanyahu’s legacy is on the line as Israelis vote in the first elections since the Oct. 7 attack

JERUSALEM (AP) — When Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, it looked like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s days in office were numbered. With the country overwhelmed by grief and anger after the deadliest security breakdown in its history, his resignation seemed like a matter of time.

But the divisive veteran Israeli leader has scratched, scraped and literally battled his way back during a stormy three-year period of nonstop domestic crises and wars across the region. Confounding his critics, he now finds himself in a tight race for reelection on Tuesday. Netanyahu has been the country’s most dominant politician for nearly two decades, and his legacy is on the line.

A poor showing could end the 77-year-old’s lengthy career on a bitter note and open the door to a new era in Israeli politics. A victory would cement his image as the ultimate political survivor. Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, a onetime ally turned rival of Netanyahu, said there has never been so much at stake — from national security to the future of Israel’s democratic institutions and its standing in the world.

After a series of wars that have destabilized the region and jolted the global economy, the world is watching closely. Politicians often say the current election is the most fateful in their country’s history, Olmert said, but “this time it really is.” The vote is a referendum on Netanyahu Netanyahu’s opponents, led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, see Tuesday as a day of reckoning. They say Netanyahu should be held accountable for Oct.

7 and the failure to turn battlefield victories into diplomatic achievements. “What he is offering is an eternal war,” Eisenkot, whose son and two nephews were killed in combat, said in a radio interview. “Choosing a leader whose only goal is not to surrender means choosing a leader who will not deliver victories.” Netanyahu’s supporters say he was betrayed by Israel’s defense establishment and that he has led the country through a remarkable turnaround with devastating strikes against Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iran.

The Israeli leader has also turned to his traditional use of scare tactics. His campaign slogan, “Right or Palestine,” which rhymes in Hebrew, suggests his opponents would establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel, something his main rivals vehemently reject. A two-state solution, still seen internat…