Residents interviewed in northern Israel urged the next government to address security and economic recovery ahead of an Oct. 27 election, as an official audit documented delays in regional planning.
A July 2025 review by the State Comptroller of Israel found that the government approved its first comprehensive plan for the north in May 2024, about seven and a half months after the war began. The comptroller said a multiyear rehabilitation and development plan had not been formulated by early January 2025.
The audit said more than 60,000 northern residents were eligible for evacuation under government decisions, while tens of thousands left independently. Among evacuees from northern communities surveyed, 54% said they were highly likely not to return to their prewar communities. The review also documented damage to communities and disruptions to employment and local businesses.
The May 2024 decision included NIS 940 million for immediate needs. About NIS 608 million had been allocated by July 2024, and a later decision reduced the immediate allocation to NIS 804 million, the audit said.
In interviews published Oct. 25, The National spoke with residents of Kibbutz Dafna and Kibbutz Snir. Lt. Col. Eyal Dror, a reservist recently returned from service in Lebanon, called for a new government focused on rebuilding the northern economy. Lior Shelef told the outlet, “Israel needs a change, and I think this change should be very dramatic.” The interviews reflect individual views and were not presented as a representative survey.
A poll for Agam Labs at Hebrew University put Netanyahu’s support in northern Israel at about 17%, down from about 29% before the 2022 election, the Associated Press reported. The AP account did not provide the poll’s sample size or full methodology.
Israel’s Central Elections Committee has scheduled the vote for Tuesday, Oct. 27, to elect the 26th Knesset.
