Israel’s election campaign has been consumed by Iran, national security and the impact of three years of war, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main challenger, Gadi Eisenkot, rarely straying from the theme. The vote will pit Netanyahu’s military hawkishness and religious nationalism against Eisenkot’s plans to fund Israel’s defense buildup through structural reforms that help bring down the government’s debt, which has soared in the past three years.
Also this weekend, Halloween candy prices are reflecting cocoa's wild ride. Chocolate remains expensive even after cocoa prices retreated from peaks, pointing to persistent supply pressures in Ivory Coast and Ghana and manufacturers’ efforts to manage costs.
On today's show, Bloomberg This Weekend hosts David Gura, Christina Ruffini, and Lisa Mateo speak with:
- Rep. Dan Crenshaw, (R) Texas, on calls for expanding Ukraine’s access to Starlink over Russia and increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin to create leverage for peace negotiations.
- Former Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Olmert, on how security, democracy and the war in Iran are shaping Israel’s election and argues that the country needs a change in its approach to settler violence in the West Bank.
- Ignacio Canals Polo, Bloomberg Intelligence Consumer Staples & Food Analyst, on why chocolate prices are unlikely to make a quick return to their previous levels.
Plus, Christina, David, and Lisa discuss the stories you might have missed this week on BTW.
For more conversations like this, watch and listen to Bloomberg This Weekend live on Saturdays and Sundays from 7AM-10AM ET. Watch on Bloomberg Television, listen on Bloomberg Radio and stream the show live on the Bloomberg Business app and Bloomberg.com/video.



