Benjamin Netanyahu

Editor's Notes: Israel's election exposes deep political divisions after Gantz withdrawal - comment

Here is my request, the only one I’ll make before the polls open. Give yourself permission to notice one thing that complicates your choice.

Former IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz leads Blue and White, which is polling below the electoral threshold.
People inspect damage at a house reportedly hit by a Houthi missile in the southwestern city of Taiz, Yemen October 21, 2026.

Trump accuses Iran of fabricating tanker strikes, Israel frees suspects connected to settler attack

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mahaneh Yehuda Market in Jerusalem, October 23, 2026.

'Grave incitement': Heckler throws glass bottle at Netanyahu's motorcade near Mahaneh Yehuda market

MK Ahmad Tibi attends Hadash–Ta'al faction meeting, at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on June 29, 2026.

Ahmad Tibi outlines plan to oust Netanyahu after elections if neither bloc forms majority


WATCH: Fueled by a life's mission, Netanyahu asks Israelis for time to 'finish the job' in Iran

Netanyahu to 'Post': I want five more terms • 'I'll form gov't with current coalition partners; Eisenkot ruled me out' • Trump's support 'surprised' PM, Israel must capitalize before tide turns in US

In a birthday interview beginning after 2 a.m.,  the prime minister made his case for another term.  We pressed him on Qatar, his trial, and the question  outlasting this election: What happens after Trump?

Hendel to 'Post': Reservists Party could decide Israel's next government - interview

The party, he explained, will only join a coalition of Zionist parties, and isn't ruling any of them out based on who is or isn't Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Yoaz Hendel of the Reservist-Economic Party being interviewed by The Jerusalem Post, October 22, 2026.

Israel Election 2026: Pollster Shmuel Rosner says Israelis have already made up their minds

Shmuel Rosner, a JPPI senior fellow and Channel 13 election pollster, argues that Netanyahu's late blitz is not a play for 61 seats, but a move to stop the opposition from forming a coalition.

BALLOT PAPERS of various political parties displayed at the Central Elections Committee warehouse in Shoham, Oct. 14.

Netanyahu, Katz's warnings of Iranian strikes could spur regime into attacking first, officials say

Reports have also indicated an increase in Israeli fighter jet training exercises in the country's skies amid growing speculation about a possible military campaign against Iran.

Destroyed building in central Israel following Iranian missile strikes on February 28, 2026.

Netanyahu defense challenges Mandelblit over police questioning of key state witness

The exchanges at the Jerusalem District Court focused on how closely Mandelblit supervised the early inquiries into Netanyahu and whether investigators stayed within the limits he set.

Former attorney-general Avichai Mandelblit testifies in Netanyahu trial, October 22, 2026.

The world needs Netanyahu’s kind of leadership

Conviction must be matched by judgment and responsibility. At this dangerous moment, Netanyahu offers the experience and determination to make that combination count

Bobby Rechnitz in Jerusalem.

With five days until elections, Netanyahu shifts strategies to courting right-wing votes - analysis

The assessment is that Netanyahu's primary concern is remaining prime minister, even if it means parting ways with existing political partners like Itamar Ben-Gvir.

 A plenum session at the assembly hall of the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem on March 19, 2025.

Israel Election 2026: How many votes will parties need to cross electoral threshold? - explainer

According to the updated estimates from the Taub Center, a political party will need approximately 166,000 votes to enter the Knesset if voter turnout matches that of the 2022 election.

An Israeli voting booth.

'Like a biblical battle': WP journalist wounded in West Bank credits Palestinian youth with rescue

Levine, along with a group of Palestinians, journalists, and activists, was attacked by the settlers while harvesting olives near Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah.

Heidi Levine, a photojournalist with the Washington Post, speaks to journalists at the hospital after sustaining multiple injuries during an attack by Israeli militant settlers on Palestinians harvesting olives, in Ramallah in the West Bank, October 16, 2026.

Katz says opposition will bear blame for future attacks on Israel after ignoring warnings

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said that Katz's "reckless and hysterical statement is a gift to Israel’s enemies,” and accused the government of failing to eradicate Hamas or bring down Iran.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz attends a memorial ceremony for fallen Israeli soldiers of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, at the National Hall of Remembrance at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, September 22, 2026