From malls to synagogues, Israel's parties battle for every vote with one week until election

With exactly one week remaining before Israelis head to the polls, political parties are intensifying their campaigns, taking to the streets, fighting for every vote and increasingly turning their attacks not only on political opponents but also on rivals within their own ideological camps. The final seven days before the October 27 election may be their last opportunity to sway undecided voters and boost turnout. Likud: Netanyahu tours shopping malls and steps up media appearances Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spent recent days coordinating campaign activities with his team, focusing particularly on cities traditionally associated with Likud, where the party believes voter turnout needs to increase. The campaign is emphasizing two central messages. The first, "Right or Palestine," is based on Likud research suggesting that fear of a government formed in partnership with Arab parties is a major factor motivating its supporters to vote. The second, "Netanyahu does not surrender," is intended to signal the prime minister's determination to continue pursuing his policies. Netanyahu has recently been visiting shopping malls, major retail centers, restaurants and cafes, interacting with the public under strict security arrangements. During these visits, he repeatedly warns that Gadi Eisenkot intends to form a government with Mansour Abbas, leader of the Arab Ra'am party, a claim Likud is also promoting extensively on social media. In a departure from his usual approach, Netanyahu has been granting interviews to media outlets not traditionally associated with him, hoping to attract moderate right-wing voters. Meanwhile, critics have accused the campaign of keeping several senior Mizrahi candidates, Israelis of Middle Eastern and North African Jewish descent, largely out of the spotlight to avoid alienating certain voter groups. Yashar: Eisenkot targets Likud strongholds Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, plans to spend the final week campaigning aggressively in Israel's outlying regions and traditional Likud strongholds, seeking to establish his party as the country's largest. The party is conducting an extensive grassroots operation targeting voters who have traditionally avoided parties belonging to the anti-Netanyahu bloc but who, according to internal polling, are considering supporting Eisenkot. Campaign officials have identified approximately 40 cities as priority targets, hoping to win over tens of thousands of undecided voters who could influence the election's outcome and expand the bloc's parliamentary strength. Eisenkot opened the week with a large rally in Givat Shmuel, visited Eilat on Monday and is scheduled to campaign in Beersheba, Ramla, Modi'in and the Mateh Asher region in the coming days. The party is seeking to capitalize on its diverse candidate list, which includes eight representatives of the religious Zionist community among its top 20 candidates, alongside representatives of Israel's Ethiopian, Druze and LGBTQ communities and immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Particular attention is being directed toward liberal voters, Israelis who serve in the military, younger voters and those casting ballots for the first time. On Sunday, the party plans to hold a major campaign event at Hangar 11 in Tel Aviv under the slogan "Israel sets out on a new path," referencing its ballot designation. Beyahad: Bennett courts voters through personal discussions and social media influencers Former prime minister Naftali Bennett, who heads the Beyahad party, is dedicating the final days of the campaign to visits to crowded public spaces and informal political discussion groups, a format he began using several months ago. Bennett meets with former Likud voters, both those disappointed with Netanyahu and those who remain supportive, engaging them in discussions about his own political record and that of the prime minister while responding directly to criticism. In the evenings, he attends rallies in different cities. Most of Bennett's campaign has maintained a positive tone, but he has recently intensified efforts to reach younger Israelis through social media influencers, videos and content specifically targeting first-time voters. The party is also running a focused campaign among soldiers and others serving in the military, highlighting Bennett's proposal to provide greater benefits to those who serve rather than those who avoid military service. Candidates from his party are holding events across the country every evening, emphasizing the need for political and institutional reform. Bennett repeatedly pledges to establish a state commission of inquiry on the first day his government takes office and to advance a fair military conscription framework immediately upon assuming power. Yisrael Beytenu: Liberman sends his entire campaign operation into the field Avigdor Liberman's Yisrael Beytenu party is shifting almost its entire campaign operation into direct voter outreach during the final week. Few staff members are expected to remain at campaign headquarters, with teams instead attending small gatherings in private homes, rallies, panel discussions and personal meetings with activists and undecided voters across Israel. At the same time, dedicated teams are working on digital platforms and social media. The party's central message focuses on Liberman's pledge to enforce military conscription and withhold state benefits from those who refuse to serve, with slogans including "100% for those who serve, 0% for draft dodgers." "We also speak with people who intend to vote for other parties in the change bloc and encourage them to go out and vote," campaign officials said. "For us, the responsibility is both to the party and to the bloc: to increase the bloc's strength and achieve a decisive outcome at the ballot box. We're fighting for every vote." The Democrats: memorial ceremony, march and major rally Tens of thousands of activists and volunteers affiliated with Yair Golan's Democrats party are expected to mobilize across the country ahead of Election Day, organizing tours, public meetings and demonstrations at intersections and bridges, while maintaining a visible presence in cities and towns. Their aim is to promote the party's platform, which includes repealing legislation associated with the government's judicial overhaul, advancing a law barring criminal defendants from serving in government and enshrining the values of Israel's Declaration of Independence in the country's Basic Laws. On Thursday, the party will hold a memorial ceremony for former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, 31 years after his assassination. On Saturday, tens of thousands of party activists are expected to gather at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv for a "Democracy March" to Habima Square, where a rally will be held together with the October Council. The party is also preparing to recruit 10,000 volunteers to station themselves outside polling places on Election Day, covering approximately 1,000 voting clusters nationwide. United Torah Judaism: home gatherings and a battle against ultra-Orthodox challengers The ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party is using the final stretch of the campaign to mobilize its traditional voters while reaching audiences that could defect to rival parties. Although party officials are avoiding public references to the Haredi Public party, led by Moti Leitner, which appeals to working and military-serving ultra-Orthodox Israelis, United Torah Judaism chairman Yaakov Asher has been meeting with precisely those voters. At small gatherings in private homes, Asher has promised to establish religious schools that include secular studies, along with educational frameworks enabling ultra-Orthodox students to pursue vocational training. At rabbinical gatherings, speakers have emphasized the importance of voting for the party while pushing back against more extreme ultra-Orthodox factions that are encouraging supporters to boycott the election in protest over the absence of a military conscription law or to back new parties challenging the established ultra-Orthodox leadership. Shas: continuing Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's legacy Shas is maintaining its focus on defending Jewish religious identity and tradition in the campaign's final week. Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, the party's spiritual leader, is traveling across Israel to attend rallies and deliver speeches urging supporters to vote for what he describes as the life's work of his late father, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the influential former spiritual leader of Shas. The campaign promises to preserve the religious schools and yeshivas established under Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's leadership. Shas appears to have identified a potential shift among some ultra-Orthodox voters toward Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party and the Religious Zionist Party. In response, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef has increasingly warned against voting for politicians who visit the Temple Mount. In a letter, the rabbi declared that voting for Ben-Gvir was religiously forbidden, writing: "According to Jewish law, it is forbidden to support a party led by someone who ascends the Temple Mount, and may the good Lord have mercy." Religious Zionist Party: Smotrich campaigns in yeshivas and synagogues Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich plans to spend the final week persuading voters to support his party rather than Ofer Winter or the Noam party. Smotrich's campaign includes visits to yeshivas aimed at mobilizing the religious Zionist base. He is also working to attract more affluent and established voters within the national-religious community. Last Saturday, Smotrich visited several synagogues and communities in Petah Tikva, including neighborhoods whose residents previously supported Bennett and former minister Ayelet Shaked. Amcha Yisrael: Winter attacks the government's record against Hamas Ofer Winter, leader of the Amcha Yisrael party, is continuing efforts to distinguish himself from Netanyahu's government following clashes with the prime minister, who has sought to pressure him into withdrawing from the election or attract his supporters back to Likud. Winter declared Monday that he intends to remain in the race until the end. His campaign emphasizes that Netanyahu does not have exclusive control over Israel's political right and argues that the current government has failed in its handling of Hamas. At the same time, Winter is using attacks from Netanyahu's political camp to portray himself as a target of political persecution, hoping to turn resentment toward the governing coalition into support among right-wing voters. The Reservists and the Economic Party: conscription and cost-of-living campaign Yoaz Hendel expressed renewed confidence Monday following Benny Gantz's announcement that he would not run in the upcoming election. Hendel said internal polling indicated that he was a preferred alternative for some Gantz voters who did not want to align themselves with either major political bloc. In the final week, the joint campaign of The Reservists and the Economic Party is focusing on the confrontation between Netanyahu and economist Yaron Zelekha. The party plans to publish videos showing Netanyahu praising Zelekha in the past, contrasting those statements with his more recent attacks on him. With a limited campaign budget, the party has reserved much of its spending for the final week, planning billboard advertisements centered on military conscription and the cost of living. Ra'am: mobilizing Bedouin voters in the Negev One week before the election, Mansour Abbas' Ra'am party is concentrating on maximizing turnout, particularly among the Bedouin community in southern Israel's Negev region, one of the party's most important electoral bases. The campaign emphasizes how Arab voter turnout could influence the composition of the next government. Party officials argue that a stronger Ra'am could help determine the balance of power in the Knesset, promoting the argument that winning eight parliamentary seats could help the anti-Netanyahu bloc secure a 61-seat majority in the 120-member parliament and replace Netanyahu's government. Its central message is that voting for Ra'am is not merely an expression of support for an Arab political party, but also a means of influencing national leadership and advancing the interests of Arab citizens in housing, land rights, government budgets and the fight against crime. Joint List: expanding outreach to Russian-speaking Israelis The Joint List is intensifying efforts to encourage voting among Arab citizens, particularly those who remain undecided or express indifference toward the political process. Its campaign stretches across Israel, including Arab communities in the Triangle region, the Negev and the Galilee, combining political rallies, distribution of campaign materials and videos featuring party candidates and their messages. The central argument is that increasing turnout among Arab voters is essential to translating the community's population size into political influence. Alongside its traditional outreach to Arab voters, the party is also attempting to broaden its audience through a Russian-language campaign aimed at Russian-speaking Israelis. On Tuesday, the Joint List is expected to present its program for the next Knesset in Haifa, including its vision for establishing a stronger social safety net for Arab citizens. Otzma Yehudit: Ben-Gvir seeks votes from Likud and