Israel Sets October 27 Election Date as Netanyahu Seeks Another Term

Jul 12, 2026

Israel will hold national elections on October 27, the first since the 2023 Hamas attacks. The vote is a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who seeks another term despite a corruption trial and low approval over security failures. His main rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, is polling slightly ahead. Netanyahu's far-right coalition is rushing to pass controversial laws before the parliament's term ends.

October 27 election date

▪The October 27, 2026, election date is the last one legally permitted.
▪Israel will hold national elections on October 27, 2026.
▪The last time an Israeli election was held on its scheduled date was in 1988.
▪Yossi Mekelberg of Chatham House described the upcoming election as the most consequential in Israel's history since its founding in 1948.
▪Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 76, has confirmed he will run for re-election.

Netanyahu corruption trial

▪If convicted on corruption charges, Benjamin Netanyahu could face up to 10 years in prison.
▪Critics accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using his office to evade justice in his corruption trial.
▪Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial for corruption charges.

Hamas attacks aftermath

▪A Hebrew University poll found public support for Netanyahu's premiership fell from 40.5% in March to 29.4% in June.
▪U.S. presidential hopeful Rahm Emanuel stated during a visit to Tel Aviv that Israel has become a "pariah".
▪A poll by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem found that over 92% of Israelis believe Iran won the recent Middle East war.
▪The October 27 election will be Israel's first since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023.
▪The October 7, 2023 attacks, where Hamas killed nearly 1,200 people, were the deadliest day in Israel's history.
▪Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security credentials were damaged by security failures related to the October 7 attacks.

Coalition legislation push

▪Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition is rushing to pass several controversial laws before the current parliamentary session ends.
▪The Torah study bill is seen as a step toward a military draft exemption for ultra-Orthodox Jews, a key demand of coalition partners.

Eisenkot opposition challenge

▪Gadi Eisenkot's son was killed in Gaza in December 2023, and two of his nephews were also killed in the war.
▪A Kan News poll indicated Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party would win 24 Knesset seats, compared to 23 for Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party.
▪Former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, has emerged as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main rival.
▪Gadi Eisenkot resigned from Netanyahu's war cabinet in June 2024, stating the government had "completely failed" in its Gaza objectives.