It’s Election Day
Nope, This Is Not About the Midterms
What’s going on: As the US prepares for a referendum on President Donald Trump’s second term, Israelis are heading to the polls to do the same — but for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Voters will elect members of the 120-seat Knesset, the country’s parliament, and whichever party gets the majority decides the prime minister. For more than 18 years, the far-right Likud Party and Netanyahu have maintained power amid scandal after scandal (see: Netanyahu’s six-year corruption trial and charges of alleged war crimes). But that could change. These are the first elections since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks and the war in Gaza — and opposition leaders want Netanyahu out for failing to prevent Oct 7. With polls showing a tight race, it could be weeks before there’s a majority coalition and a new PM.
The bigger picture: Experts say this is one of the most important elections in Israel's history. More than 50,000 Israelis living abroad were expected to fly in and vote (there’s no absentee voting in Israel). The stakes are also high for the US. Earlier this month, Trump broke with a longstanding tradition of not endorsing a candidate in a foreign election and backed Netanyahu. A new PM could reshape how the US works with Israel in Middle East relations, including the Iran war and the redevelopment of Gaza, which has been absent from campaigns. Still, analysts say Israel’s policies toward Palestinians are unlikely to change regardless of who is PM. Right now, Netanyahu’s main challenger is the Yashar Party led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former military general. It wouldn’t be the first time that Netanyahu has faced such a tight race — in 1996, he won by one percentage point. Even if he loses, he could still maintain influence in a US-backed unity government.
Related: What Brazil and Serbia’s Elections Mean for Israel-US Relations (The Guardian)
Skimm Tested
Our editors have been hard at work testing the products you’ve seen all over your social feeds. Check out the latest:
Eight Sleep’s Pod 6. Meet the cooling mattress cover that helped a Skimm editor get her first good night's sleep in years.*
Timeline Mitopure Resurfacing Exfoliator. Can this gentle and lightweight product improve skin texture in just three weeks? The results are in.*
Tawkify Matchmaking Service. One editor traded swiping for a professional matchmaker and gave us all the details.
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Here's your chance to make us laugh (in 20 words or fewer) and get a shoutout in the Daily Skimm. Send us your best skimm of this photo. We'll pick our top three, you'll vote for your favorite on Thursday, and we'll announce the winner in Friday's email.
This week: Halloween is almost here, and this costume from Chicago's Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade has us in a hold.
What’s In Our Carts: Skincare Edition
At Skimm Shopping, we're seeing an inordinate amount of skincare products cross our desks right now. In an oversaturated market, we’ve pinpointed a few high-performing products we genuinely stand by:
The best-smelling body wash, hands down
A peptide-packed moisturizer with the most decadent texture
A lightweight body serum that doesn’t stick to your clothes
The vitamin C version of our holy grail eye patches (they’re the best for brightening)
KNOW IT ALL
Dictionary.com has unveiled its word of the year. It is:
Ease into your day with Typeshift, the word-building game. Start playing.
It’s Election Day
Nope, This Is Not About the Midterms
What’s going on: As the US prepares for a referendum on President Donald Trump’s second term, Israelis are heading to the polls to do the same — but for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Voters will elect members of the 120-seat Knesset, the country’s parliament, and whichever party gets the majority decides the prime minister. For more than 18 years, the far-right Likud Party and Netanyahu have maintained power amid scandal after scandal (see: Netanyahu’s six-year corruption trial and charges of alleged war crimes). But that could change. These are the first elections since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks and the war in Gaza — and opposition leaders want Netanyahu out for failing to prevent Oct 7. With polls showing a tight race, it could be weeks before there’s a majority coalition and a new PM.
The bigger picture: Experts say this is one of the most important elections in Israel's history. More than 50,000 Israelis living abroad were expected to fly in and vote (there’s no absentee voting in Israel). The stakes are also high for the US. Earlier this month, Trump broke with a longstanding tradition of not endorsing a candidate in a foreign election and backed Netanyahu. A new PM could reshape how the US works with Israel in Middle East relations, including the Iran war and the redevelopment of Gaza, which has been absent from campaigns. Still, analysts say Israel’s policies toward Palestinians are unlikely to change regardless of who is PM. Right now, Netanyahu’s main challenger is the Yashar Party led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former military general. It wouldn’t be the first time that Netanyahu has faced such a tight race — in 1996, he won by one percentage point. Even if he loses, he could still maintain influence in a US-backed unity government.
Related: What Brazil and Serbia’s Elections Mean for Israel-US Relations (The Guardian)
Skimm Tested
Our editors have been hard at work testing the products you’ve seen all over your social feeds. Check out the latest:
Eight Sleep’s Pod 6. Meet the cooling mattress cover that helped a Skimm editor get her first good night's sleep in years.*
Timeline Mitopure Resurfacing Exfoliator. Can this gentle and lightweight product improve skin texture in just three weeks? The results are in.*
Tawkify Matchmaking Service. One editor traded swiping for a professional matchmaker and gave us all the details.
Skimm This
Give us your best skimm:
Here's your chance to make us laugh (in 20 words or fewer) and get a shoutout in the Daily Skimm. Send us your best skimm of this photo. We'll pick our top three, you'll vote for your favorite on Thursday, and we'll announce the winner in Friday's email.
This week: Halloween is almost here, and this costume from Chicago's Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade has us in a hold.
What’s In Our Carts: Skincare Edition
At Skimm Shopping, we're seeing an inordinate amount of skincare products cross our desks right now. In an oversaturated market, we’ve pinpointed a few high-performing products we genuinely stand by:
The best-smelling body wash, hands down
A peptide-packed moisturizer with the most decadent texture
A lightweight body serum that doesn’t stick to your clothes
The vitamin C version of our holy grail eye patches (they’re the best for brightening)
KNOW IT ALL
Dictionary.com has unveiled its word of the year. It is:
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