Farzan Sabet, a senior analyst at the Eurasia Group, a US think tank, stated that the main factions vying for power in Israel are quite hawkish on security issues and will adopt similar policies in key areas such as confronting Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon. However, a new coalition government primarily composed of anti-Netanyahu forces may be more inclined to re-examine Israel's strategy toward Tehran before taking any major escalation. Currently, the US and Israel have plans to potentially resume strikes against Iran after the US midterm elections on November 3; and the Iranian Army Commander-in-Chief has stated that he is ready for "asymmetric warfare." Furthermore, the anti-Netanyahu camp may be "more conciliatory" on issues such as military action in Gaza—especially if this can improve US-Israeli relations and Israel's international standing while meeting Israel's basic security needs. Such a government might take more restrained action in the West Bank, combating settler violence against Palestinians and avoiding the annexation of Palestinian land. In recent years, settler violence and forced displacement of Palestinians have drawn condemnation from lawmakers in the US and other countries. However, although Netanyahu's opposition has a slight advantage in recent polls, it remains a closely contested race with multiple possible outcomes.
