Overview
- Parliament confirmed on July 12 that national elections will be held on October 27, 2026, and the Knesset is scheduled to complete its term on July 17, leaving the legally set date in place.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared he will run and said he 'intends to win' while still facing corruption trials and widespread criticism over security failures tied to the October 7, 2023 attacks.
- Former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot’s new Yashar party has surged in recent polls and is either neck‑and‑neck with or slightly ahead of Likud, creating a competitive race in which neither side currently commands a clear 61‑seat majority.
- The governing coalition has weakened through defections such as United Torah Judaism’s exit and is racing to pass contested bills on judicial changes and ultra‑Orthodox military exemptions before the Knesset recess.
- If the October vote holds it would be Israel’s first on‑time national election since 1988, a result that would shift the focus to post‑vote deal‑making over small and Arab party support and shape policies on security, the army draft and Gaza’s future.