Two starkly different messages are defining the final days of Israel's parliamentary election campaign.
On one side, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is focusing on national security and the threat posed by Iran. On the other, his main challenger, Gadi Eisenkot, is urging voters to end years of political division and turn the page on Netanyahu's long dominance of Israeli politics.
With polling suggesting a closely fought contest, tensions have escalated further following a fresh intervention by US President Donald Trump, who publicly endorsed Netanyahu.
Eisenkot: Israel needs change
Speaking before hundreds of supporters in Tel Aviv during his final campaign rally, the former Israeli military chief placed national unity at the centre of his message.
"Our goal is not for one side to defeat the other. That's not how we operate," Eisenkot said.
"We will work to reunite all Israelis, those who vote for us and those who do not."
He also made a direct appeal to supporters of Netanyahu's Likud party.
"Deep down, you know that Israel cannot continue like this," he argued. "Israel needs change."
While stressing his commitment to security and economic stability, Eisenkot promised a different style of leadership from Netanyahu, who has dominated Israeli politics for much of the last three decades.
"I will look people in the eye and tell them the truth. I will take responsibility for both successes and failures, because that is what real leadership means," he said.
Eisenkot again referenced the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack, blaming Netanyahu for security failures that allowed it to happen and pledging to establish an independent commission of inquiry.
Campaign reached Cyprus
Eisenkot's campaign extended beyond Israel's borders and into Cyprus.
Earlier this year, Hebrew-language campaign billboards appeared along Cypriot motorways, including in the Larnaca area, targeting Israeli tourists visiting the island.
The signs featured Eisenkot's image alongside messages encouraging Israelis to enjoy their holiday and then return home to vote. The campaign sparked debate in Cyprus and later prompted a legislative proposal seeking to ban outdoor political advertising related to foreign elections.
Eisenkot's links with Cyprus go beyond the campaign trail. During his tenure as chief of staff of the Israeli armed forces between 2015 and 2019, military cooperation with Cyprus's National Guard expanded through joint exercises and defence exchanges.
Netanyahu: Only I can finish the job
Netanyahu continues to present himself as Israel's indispensable security leader, accusing political opponents of underestimating threats posed by Iran and Palestinian groups.
In an interview with Channel 14, a broadcaster considered close to him, he criticised the opposition and warned against the creation of a Palestinian state, which he described as a disaster for Israel.
The issue has featured prominently in his campaign, including posters carrying the slogan: "Either the Right, or Palestine."
The outgoing prime minister has also focused heavily on the war launched by Israel and the United States against Iran earlier this year, portraying its outcome as evidence that he should remain in office.
"We completed 90% of the job. Ten per cent remains. Who will finish it? Eisenkot and the Muslim Brotherhood? No. Only I can do it," he said.
AI nuclear-blast image sparks controversy
The campaign intensified further after Netanyahu published a social-media post warning about the Iranian threat accompanied by an AI-generated image depicting a nuclear explosion over what appeared to be a major urban centre resembling Tel Aviv.
תקראו את הדברים החשובים של יובל בלומברג: מדינת ישראל נמצאת בסכנה קיומית אמיתית ומוחשית. אם האיראנים ישיגו גרעין, שום דבר כבר לא ישנה יותר. הכל כל כך טפל אל מול הסכנה הקיומית של איראן והציר השיעי. הסערות המבוימות והמומצאות חדשות לבקרים נועדו להסיט את תשומת הלב מהדבר האחד שהוא החשוב ביותר: סיום העבודה באיראן. זה נוגע בקיום הפיזי של כל אדם ואדם כאן. יש לנו עוד שנתיים של טראמפ לסיים את העבודה באיראן, ואין לדעת מה יהיה לאחר מכן, אם זו תהיה קמאלה האריס, או תואם מאמדני כלשהו. זה חלון הזמן שנותר לנו כדי להשלים את העבודה הנדרשת כדי להבטיח את הקיום הפיזי שלנו לשנים הבאות. כל משאבי המדינה הנדרשים, צריכים להיות מושקעים במשימה הזו. קטאר, חרדים, אוריך, גיוס, התראות. הכל מסך עשן ענקי כדי להסתיר את הנושא היחיד שניצב מעל כולם בפער. אם יפלו במרכז הארץ שתי פצצות אטום, את מי יעניינו כל סערות הסרק האלה? הדורות הבאים לא יסלחו לנו אם נפספס את חלון ההזדמנויות ההיסטורי שמאפשר לנו לנסות ולהשלים את המשימה הקריטית ביותר שעומדת בפני הדור שלנו. זה לא יקרה עם ראש ממשלה שמוחזק בצווארו על ידי האחים המוסלמים וסייעני הטרור. זה לא יקרה עם ראש ממשלה שלא מסוגל להרים את הטלפון ולנהל שיחה אינטימית רציפה עם טראמפ. זה לא יקרה עם ראש ממשלה שלא מסוגל לעמוד בלחץ של ראיון טלויזיה. השינאה לנתניהו, ככל שהיא עולם ומלואו עבור מחנה שלם, לא תעזור מול הגרעין האיראני. כל אחד שדואג לקיום הפיזי שלו, של משפחתו, ושל אהוביו, ידו צריכה לרעוד לפני שהוא בוחר במישהו שלא יהיה מסוגל להשלים את המשימה, ובכך לדון את עצמו ואת משפחתו לסכנה של שואה שניה, בגלל השינאה הפוליטית שלו או בגלל סערת דמה מטופשת וחסרת חשיבות.
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 25, 2026
Netanyahu used the image to argue that Iran represents an existential threat surpassing all other political issues facing Israel.
The post immediately drew criticism.
Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of exploiting fears about Iran for electoral purposes.
"Once again, you have spectacularly and blatantly failed to achieve the war objectives that you yourself set," he said.
Although Eisenkot also opposes the creation of a Palestinian state, he has pledged to tackle violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid, who has already indicated he would be willing to align with Eisenkot, also criticised the AI-generated image.
"The man has gone off the rails. We need to send him home," Lapid said.
Trump enters the campaign
The highly charged political atmosphere was heightened further by a public endorsement from US President Donald Trump.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump urged Israelis to support Netanyahu, citing the joint US-Israeli war effort against Iran as an example of successful cooperation.
"When you go to the Polls please remember that Bibi has been an outstanding Warrior," Trump wrote, using Netanyahu's widely known nickname.
Voters seek an end to division
Among Eisenkot's supporters, many say their primary motivation is reducing political polarisation and rebuilding trust in Israel's leadership.
"I feel that he's a rock for us, someone I can trust," 66-year-old jewellery designer Yael Skendi told AFP.
"In all this chaos, what matters to me is the feeling that we have someone capable of bringing people together, almost like a father figure."
Similar sentiments were expressed by technology-sector employee and military reservist Sen Sharon.
"We need someone whose values we can genuinely believe in," she said.
Gidi Grinstein, a 55-year-old researcher based in New York, travelled to Israel specifically to vote and voiced concern about growing internal tensions.
"The key message is that the tone of public debate needs to come down," he said. "We have far too many internal divisions."
With security, Iran and political polarisation dominating the campaign, Israelis head to the polls on Tuesday in what is shaping up to be a defining election, pitting two competing visions for the country's future against one another.
Source: MPE
