2026 Israeli Elections

Israel Election 2026: The parties, blocs and battles that will shape Israel's future - explainer

Israel’s first post-October 7 election brings shifting alliances, new political faces and an uncertain path to power

Results of a Maariv poll measuring how many seats each party would receive in the October 2026 Knesset elections, results shared on August 28, 2026.
Gadi Eisenkot, head of Yashar, is the main challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming October election.PremiumPremium

How a military record and personal grief made Netanyahu's biggest rival

Haredi demonstration in front of the military recruitment office in Jerusalem, April 12, with a sign that reads: ‘We will die and not enlist.’PremiumPremium

Netanyahu's haredi bargain: a lifeline that became a liability - analysis

Many new immigrants will approach Israel’s October 27 election without having grown up inside the country’s political system, leaving many to navigate the parties and candidates largely on their own. PremiumPremium

'When I say clueless, we were clueless': Olim navigate Israeli politics


What does 'right-wing' actually mean in Israeli politics anymore? - opinion

Most Israelis want the country to be a Jewish-majority state that remains democratic - and that doesn’t make any of them left-wing or right-wing.

 President Isaac Herzog and  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pose for a group picture of the then-new government, at the president's residence in Jerusalem, December 29, 2022

Liberman's unified strategy is key for state-oriented Zionist bloc's victory in elections - opinion

To the attention of all my colleagues in the opposition: Only a firm decision by all of us to adhere to these principles and maintain a bloc-wide strategy will bring us a clear and decisive victory.

Yisrael Beytenu leader MK Avigdor Liberman leads a faction meeting at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, July 6, 2026

Eisenkot leaps ahead as Likud support falters, projected to win 26 Knesset seats - poll

The findings come from a poll conducted for Maariv by Lazar Research, headed by Dr. Menachem Lazar, in cooperation with the Panel4All online respondents panel.

Amid reports that the Shas Party could be willing to sit with him in government, Yashar Party head Gadi Eisenkot did not rule out that option entirely. Here, Eisenkot attends the Sagi Laws for Equality Confrence at the Peres Center in Jaffa earlier this week.

Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef to lead Shas, participate in launch conference with Deri's approval - report

Shas is expected to win seven seats in the upcoming October elections, according to a KAN poll published on Wednesday.

Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, during a weekly teaching at the Yazdim synagogue in Jerusalem, on June 7, 2025.

Why Israel's right-wing voters feel the system is stacked against them – opinion

Right-wing voters justifiably fear living under institutions that have been contaminated by rigid ideologies

The Likud primaries in Ashdod, August 17, 2026.

Hadash-Ta’al, Balad sign deal to re-establish Joint List weeks ahead of Israel's election

The agreement is pending final approval by the three parties, with an official announcement expected in the coming days after negotiations over the framework appeared to reach a breakthrough.

Yousef Jabareen attends Hadash–Ta'al faction meeting, at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on July 6, 2026.

A-G proposes delaying Oct. 7 inquiry decision as government 'hasn't established one anyway'

Baharav-Miara said the election period would get in the way of a decision and noted that the current government had not established one anyway.

Attorney general Gali Baharav-Miara at a Constitution, Law and Justice Committee meeting at the Knesset, in the Israeli parliament on September 30, 2025.

Huckabee urges Israel to act on settler ‘terrorism,’ warns Iran over nuclear program

Huckabee further discussed the issues of Israel's elections and the war in Gaza, emphasizing his support for Israel's right to defend itself.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, June 30, 2026; illustrative.

Netanyahu comes out on top in Likud primaries, but voters want more - analysis

In Netanyahu’s Likud, reaching the top of the list is only half the challenge. The other half is remaining there without appearing too eager to reach for the crown.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the Negev Conference in Dimona, July 14, 2026

Treat weapons smuggling for what it is: Terrorism – opinion

When Naftali Bennett was prime minister, Negev residents had less to fear from the Bedouin community. Now, kibbutzim in the region must constantly listen to gunfire ringing through the night

Residents in the South call for increased security measures in the Negev in January.