Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is sometimes referred to as “the magician” for his perennial ability to manifest an electoral victory out of thin air.

That reputation will be put to the test next month when Israel holds its elections for the Knesset, where the premier’s bloc is jostling with an opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief of staff. Netanyahu is plagued by accusations of blame for the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks; opposition to his judicial reforms; unpopular ideological allies within his coalition; and a seemingly never-ending corruption trial. The smaller parties of his coalition have threatened to go elsewhere, and the U.S. government is publicly distancing itself from Israel.