Eisenkot leans on Moroccan roots in Israeli election challenge to Netanyahu
The challenger is courting voters in Likud strongholds such as Sderot, where identity and the trauma of October 7 are reshaping political loyalties.
What to know
- Gadi Eisenkot is campaigning on his Moroccan heritage ahead of Israel's vote.
- He is targeting Likud strongholds including the southern city of Sderot.
- Historical divides and October 7 are shifting the city's political allegiances.
Gadi Eisenkot is making his Moroccan heritage a centerpiece of his campaign as he challenges Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel's coming election. The pitch is aimed at voters in Likud strongholds such as Sderot, a city near the Gaza border where longstanding divisions and the events of October 7 have unsettled old loyalties.
How far that appeal travels is the open question. The report describes identity and trauma as forces redefining the city's politics but does not say what polling or party figures show, and the outcome in Sderot will be one signal among many when Israelis vote.
Reporting credit
Read next
World
Israel to close West Bank crossings during its elections, ministry says
The announcement came as Israeli voters went to the polls under heightened security measures, according to BBC Arabic.
World
Wide-ranging Israeli military operation continues in the West Bank
Palestinians describe the campaign as collective punishment, while Israeli officials say it is meant to protect Israeli citizens…
World
Jordanians gather in Karak to bury church attack victims
Thousands attended funerals in the village of Hamoud in southern Jordan after the assault on a Greek Orthodox church on Friday.