2026 Israeli legislative election
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Legislative elections are scheduled to be held in Israel by 27 October 2026 to elect the 120 members of the twenty-sixth Knesset. However, the elections could be held earlier, as 106 members of the twenty-fifth Knesset have supported a bill proposing earlier elections.
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By 27 October 2026
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All 120 seats in the Knesset 61 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Background
After the 36th government lost its majority, snap elections were called in 2022. They resulted in the Netanyahu bloc gaining a majority,[3] and a government was successfully negotiated between Likud, Otzma Yehudit, Noam, Religious Zionist Party, United Torah Judaism, and Shas. The coalition was sworn in on 29 December 2022.[4][5][failed verification]
With this new government, Netanyahu returned to the premiership, having previously been out of office since the anti-Netanyahu bloc won a majority in the 2021 election and formed a government without Netanyahu's Likud. Five members of the National Unity party (Benny Gantz, Gadi Eizenkot, Gideon Sa'ar, Hili Tropper, and Yifat Shasha-Biton) joined the expanded emergency wartime government in October 2023 following the outbreak of the Gaza war. Gantz and Eizenkot also joined the Israeli war cabinet.[6]
Coalition composition
On 25 March 2024, Sa'ar announced that New Hope had resigned from the government.[7] In September 2024, New Hope rejoined the government.[8]
On 9 June 2024, National Unity, led by Benny Gantz, left the unity government that was formed following the outbreak of the Gaza war.[9]
On 19 January 2025, Otzma Yehudit announced that it would leave the government because of a Gaza ceasefire agreement.[10] The resignations went into effect two days later.[11] Party members rejoined the government following the collapse of the ceasefire agreement in March.[12]
On 13 March 2025, it was announced that Gideon Sa'ar had agreed to dissolve his New Hope faction and merge into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud.[13] The Likud-New Hope agreement was approved by Likud's central committee in August 2025; the party was expected to vote on an August 2021 resolution barring members of New Hope from serving in Likud.[14]
On 24 March 2025, Avi Maoz of the Noam party left the coalition government.[15]
On 14 July 2025, the two factions of United Torah Judaism, Degel HaTorah and Agudat Yisrael, both announced that they would be leaving the government after dissatisfaction with a proposed bill on Haredi conscription by Yuli Edelstein.[16][17] The resignations left Netanyahu's government with a 60-seat majority in the Knesset.[18]
On 16 July 2025, the religious council for Shas, called the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, instructed the party to leave the government but remain in the coalition.[19] Following a series of cabinet resignations from the party, some of the resigned ministers returned to the Knesset.[20][21]
Electoral system
The 120 seats in the Knesset are elected by closed list proportional representation in a single nationwide constituency. The electoral threshold for the election is 3.25%.[22] Two parties can sign a surplus vote agreement that allows them to compete for leftover seats as if they were running together on the same list. The Bader–Ofer method slightly favours larger lists, meaning that alliances are more likely to receive leftover seats than parties would be individually. If the alliance receives leftover seats, the Bader–Ofer calculation is applied privately, to determine how the seats are divided among the two allied lists.[23]
Timing
Per sections 8 and 9 of the Israeli quasi-constitutional Basic Law: Knesset, an election will typically be called approximately 4 years after the previous election, on the first or third Tuesday of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan, depending on whether or not the previous year was a Jewish Leap Year. An election can happen earlier if the government falls and the Knesset is dissolved, or later if the Knesset's term is extended by a supermajority vote. Per section 36 if the previous Knesset was dissolved earlier than the expiration of its full term then the next election shall be held the next month of Cheshvan after 4 years of a current Knesset's term have been completed (from 1970 all except in 1988 had been early elections). Since the 2022 elections were held in Cheshvan, a question was raised as to once 4 years from the last elections are completed whether the "next Cheshvan" will be in 2027 or 2026. The Head of Central Elections Committee Supreme Court justice Noam Sohlberg decided that it is in 2026; the next election was scheduled to be held no later than 27 October 2026.[24]
After the October 7 attacks and the ensuing Gaza war, some have called for the resignation of Netanyahu,[25][26] with polls suggesting that more than 75% of Israelis believe he should step down.[27][28] There have also been calls for a snap election once the war is over. Minister of Labor Yoav Ben-Tzur said that an election should occur within 90 days of the end of the war,[29] although he later walked those statements back.[30] Polling suggests that 64% of Israelis believe that an election should happen as soon as the war is over.[28]
A new budget was passed on 30 March, avoiding early elections at that time.[31]
Dov Lando, the "spiritual leader" of the Degel HaTorah faction of United Torah Judaism (UTJ), on 12 May called on the lawmakers in the party to dissolve the Knesset. Several days earlier, Netanyahu told him that he lacked the votes to pass a Knesset bill exempting Haredim from "military service", with Agudat Yisrael, the other faction of UTJ, supporting the move. MKs from several parties in the opposition, including The Democrats, Yisrael Beitenu and Ra’am, submitted separate bills that day proposing the dissolution of the Knesset.[32] The following day, coalition whip Ofir Katz submitted a dissolution bill backed by the government, with co-sponsorship by Uri Maklev, of United Torah Judaism, Yinon Azulai, of Shas, Michel Buskila from New Hope, Ohad Tal of the Religious Zionist Party, and Zvika Fogel from Otzma Yehudit.[33] The government-backed dissolution bill passed its preliminary reading on 20 May, by a vote of 110 in favor, with none opposed.[34] Two opposition-backed bills also passed their preliminary readings, with support from Haredi MKs;[35] one of the bills was submitted by Blue and White. Netanyahu is seeking an October election date.[36] A total of 13 dissolution bills were on the agenda, with some of the bills expected to be "combined" before they were sent to Knesset committees.[37] All 13 passed their preliminary readings.[38] The government's dissolution bill was passed in the House Committee on 1 June by a vote of nine in favor and none opposed. The committee agreed to postpone deciding on a specific election date, with MKs from Shas and UTJ stating that they would prefer for the election to be held in September, "before the High Holy Days."[39] Early the next morning, the Knesset passed the first reading of the bill, with 106 votes in favor.[40]
Campaign issues
Military conscription
Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, the issues of Haredi conscription in Israel and exemptions from military service have become a major debate. During the war, support for Haredi conscription rose significantly, from 67% in January 2024 to 84.5% by January 2025.[41]
In June 2024, the Supreme Court of Israel declared any continued exemption of IDF conscription unlawful.[42] In response, officials in the ultra-Orthodox Shas party urged potential conscripts to ignore any call-ups from the IDF and to protest.[43] By the next month, the army began drafting 3,000 Haredi men.[44]
In 2025, Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Yuli Edelstein had been drafting a Haredi conscription bill, leading to internal division within the governing coalition as Haredi parties demanded continued military exemption.[45] On 23 July, Likud members voted to remove Edelstein and replace him with Boaz Bismuth by a vote of 29 in favor, with four opposed.[46] A poll published by Ma'ariv reported that 52% of respondents found the move to be inappropriate, while 24% found it appropriate, and 24% were unsure.[47]
Israeli opposition leaders have criticized the coalition's unwillingness to enforce a full conscription on eligible Haredi citizens, and have called for an end to Haredi exemptions from military service.[48] Inbar Gity of Yashar has named Haredi conscription "a top priority."[49] Similarly, the issue of Haredi conscription is considered a "central question" in the campaign of Yesh Atid and its leader Yair Lapid.[50] Gadi Eisenkot of Yashar indicated that he supports military service exemptions for up to three percent of Haredim enrolled in their yeshiva for religious study, but opposes the decades-old system that allowed significant exemptions to ultra-Orthodox men following the October 7 attacks.[51]
7 October investigation
One major issue in the election is an investigation into the October 7 attacks. On 6 February 2026, sitting prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a document of his answers during an investigation by the State Comptroller of Israel, which pinned the failures on Netanyahu's political rivals while presenting himself in a positive image.[52] This led to criticism from opposition lawmakers, including from Gadi Eisenkot, who recently founded a new party Yashar to contest in the elections. Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of creating a "fabricated defense" and that the document was published "out of a desire to improve his image, distance himself from blame and harm the other candidates facing him".[53] Naftali Bennett, a top contender in the election, has pledged to establish a commission of inquiry into 7 October as part of his campaign platform.[54]
Constitutionalism
According to a poll in December 2025, an estimated 71% of Israelis support establishing a constitution for the country instead of the existing Basic Laws of Israel.[55] Naftali Bennett's "Bennett 2026" party campaigned on creating a constitution as part of its election platform.[56] Bennett has implied that his support for a constitution is a response to the government efforts at judicial reform in 2023 and later again in 2025. He believes that the existing Basic Laws are unclear in how to legislate or repeal and by what majority, and that by contrast a constitution provides a "clear foundation".[57] The party platform of Yashar also supports enacting a constitution for the state.[58] Yisrael Beitenu has also campaigned on the issue.[59]
Term limits
In September 2025, opposition leader Naftali Bennett announced that he would work towards implementing term limits for the post of prime minister of Israel if he was elected to lead a government.[54] After forming the Together party with Yair Lapid, Bennett reiterated his platform of establishing term limits for the post of prime minister.[57]
Political parties
2022 election results
The table below lists the results of the 2022 Knesset elections.
Retiring incumbents
The table below lists all members of the Knesset (MKs) who will not stand for re-election.
| Party | Name | Year first elected | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | Merav Michaeli[60] | 2013 | |
| Hadash–Ta'al | Ayman Odeh[61] | 2015 | |
| Aida Touma-Suleiman[62] | 2015 | ||
| Likud | Galit Distel-Atbaryan[63] | 2021 | |
| Shas | Ya'akov Margi[64] | 2003 | |
Publicly expressed interest
- Beyachad Natzliach
- Avi Shaked, a former Labor member and candidate in the 2021 and 2024 Israeli Labor Party leadership elections, announced the formation on 30 June 2025 of a new Jewish-Arab party called "Beyachad Natzliach" (Together We Will Succeed) with businessman Dirar Amreikh of Tamra, and political strategist Yoram Dori.[65][66]
- Brotherhood Alliance
- Wajdi Sarhan, a former commander of the IDF who fought in the 2006 Lebanon War, launched a new Druze party on 4 May 2026.[67]
- Haddad-led party
- Yoseph Haddad, an Arab-Israeli pro-Israel advocacy activist and IDF veteran who has become a prominent media and social media voice in recent years, was said to be considering establishing a new political party and would ally with Fleur Hassan-Nahoum.[68]
- Likud B
- There is discussion among some Likud members, including Yuli Edelstein, Moshe Kahlon, and Gilad Erdan, in creating a "Likud B" party that would provide a new national right-wing party that is not led by Benjamin Netanyahu.[69] Erdan confirmed in a May 2026 interview with 103fm that he was open to forming a new right-wing party.[70] The day after the interview, Erdan and Edelstein reportedly reached "initial agreements" on a new party.[71]
- Mayim Chaim
- On 12 May 2025, Rabbi Haim Yosef Abergel announced his intention to create a new ultra-Orthodox party under the name "Mayim Chaim" (Living Waters), which seeks to compete with Shas on the national level for votes, after successfully challenging Shas locally. It was reported that the party will endorse Haredi conscription into the military and the introduction of secular studies into the ultra-Orthodox school curriculum.[72] He was arrested in August 2025.[73]
- New Economic Party
- Yaron Zelicha announced in October 2025 that the New Economic Party was preparing for the election.[74]
- Orot Hashachar
- The father of Shani Louk, Nissim Louk, launched a new party, called Orot Hashachar, with Jonathan Pollard in 2026.[75] Pollard announced in May that he had decided not to proceed with his Knesset run.[76]
- Together
- Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, the respective heads of the parties Bennett 2026 and Yesh Atid, who had served as rotating prime ministers during the thirty-sixth government of Israel, announced a joint list in late April called Together.[77]
- Tropper-led party
- Chili Tropper, an MK with Blue and White, began the signature gathering process in June 2026 to form a new political party.[78]
- Yisrael Beiteinu
- Yisrael Beiteinu named two women to its slate in May 2026.[79]
- Zeal for Equality in Service
- Started by former Labor MK Einat Wilf[80] based on a platform of "Arab Zionism" and universal conscription.[81]
- Zehut
- Zehut head Moshe Feiglin announced in May 2026 that he had allied with Michael Ben-Ari, the former chair of Otzma LeYisrael.[82]
Campaign
Leadership elections have been held by some parties to determine party leadership ahead of the election. Primary elections are held by some parties in advance of the national election to determine the composition of their party list.
Parties of the 2020 Joint List
On 22 January 2026, the four parties that made up the Joint List in 2020 (Ra'am, Hadash, Ta'al and Balad) made a preliminary agreement to revive the alliance and run together.[83] The parties have not yet reached an agreement, as of April 2026[update].[84] Balad announced in mid-May that it was ready to enter a "technical bloc", which was received "positively" by Ra'am.[85] Amjad Shabita, a member of Hadash, announced in June, after the four parties met, that the Joint List would likely include Balad and Ta'al. Members of the two parties were "surprised" by the announcement, as negotiations have been continuing.[86]
Hadash
Hadash closed its primary nominations on 14 May; the parties committee, known as the National Council, was allowed to cast ballots.[87] The party held its primary two days later; former MK Yousef Jabareen defeated Shukry Awouda for the position of chairman. Incumbent leader Ayman Odeh and MK Aida Touma-Suleiman did not stand for re-election.[62] It was the first party to select its electoral slate before the election.[88] The Hadash list includes Yousef Jabareen, Jafar Farah, Ofer Cassif, Youssef Atauna and Nihaya Wishahy.[89]
Ra'am
In March 2025, Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas indicated in March 2025 that he intended to run for the next Knesset election, but would not participate in the following election.[90]
On 5 January 2026, Ra'am announced that it would invite Jews to join its list, which was historically only open to Arabs.[91]
Blue and White
National Unity had announced on 8 June 2025 that it would hold leadership primaries.[92] The party's Knesset faction was renamed to Blue and White -National Unity in July 2025, following the departures of MKs Gadi Eisenkot and Matan Kahana from the party.[93] However, the primary was not held in 2025.[citation needed]
The Democrats
Avi Dabush, the head of Rabbis for Human Rights, announced on 23 April 2026 that he would run in the primaries that will be held by The Democrats.[94] Former Meretz MK Michal Rozin announced in June that she would also run in the Democrats primaries.[95]
Yair Golan, the head of the party, issued a statement in May 2026 calling for the Zionist opposition to work with Ra'am.[96] Several days later, Golan called for Gadi Eisenkot to either join his party or the Bennett-Lapid alliance, to avoid splitting the vote.[97]
Labor
Party leader Merav Michaeli announced on 7 December 2023 that she was calling an early leadership election that she would not run in.[98] In response, Meretz chairman Tomer Reznik urged Labor to hold joint primaries with Meretz.[99] On 6 May, the party announced the final slate of leadership candidates: Yair Golan, Itai Leshem, Azi Nagar and Avi Shaked.[100] Golan won the leadership election, which was held on 28 May.[101] On 30 June 2024, Labor and Meretz announced an agreement to merge into a new party, The Democrats, with Golan as the new party's leader.[102] The merger was approved in July by a conference of Labor and Meretz delegates.[103] Two years later, the party members formalized the merger.[104]
Likud
The Likud held elections to its Central Committee in November 2025 for the first time since January 2012.[105][106] The primary is set for October 2026, unless the Knesset election takes place earlier than its scheduled date.[107]
In August 2025, Likud formalized an agreement for the New Hope party (which has four Knesset seats) to merge into it ahead of the next election.[108]
Netanyahu supported a May 2026 proposal that would allow him to appoint 10 reserved slots on the party's list.[109]
The party's "constitution committee" decided on 2 June that primaries will be held no later than 28 July 2026.[110]
New opposition parties
On 15 August 2025, former minister and MK Yoaz Hendel founded The Reservists Party.[111] It was announced on 18 September that the party had registered to run in the next election.[112] The party launched a billboard campaign in early April against Haredi and Arab parties, which echoed a Likud campaign during the April 2019 Israeli legislative election.[113] The following month, Hendel announced the party's "Returning from the Battlefield program", which is focused on treating PTSD throughout the country.[114]
Blue and White leader Benny Gantz confirmed, in a mid-April 2026 interview with Channel 12, that he was open to alliances, amid reports of negotiations with the Reservists.[115] There were further reports in May of negotiations between Hendel, Gantz and Yaron Zelekha, the head of the New Economic Party.[116] Hili Tropper was also involved in the talks.[117] Gantz was reportedly close to announcing a merger with Dedi Simchi and Zelekha by early June.[118]
Yashar
On 30 June 2025, Gadi Eisenkot announced that he would resign from the Knesset and would not participate in the next election on behalf of Benny Gantz's National Unity, over differences on how to hold a leadership election for the party.[119] It was speculated "by unnamed sources" that Eisenkot could either join Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid and possibly take over the leadership of the party from Lapid.[120] It was also speculated that he could join Naftali Bennett's Bennett 2026 party, or run independently with a new party.[121] A source confirmed that Eisenkot and Lapid were in contact, but denied that there was a potential agreement.[122] He announced the formation of Yashar! with Eisenkot on 16 September 2025.[123] On 1 July, Matan Kahana announced that he would resign his seat,[120] and he later joined Eisenkot in the founding of Yashar.[123] In mid-April, Eisenkot spoke of a plan to increase the amount of olim in the country to two million by 2048, 100 years from the founding of Israel.[124]
Unity of the "Zionist opposition"
On 27 August 2025, Avigdor Lieberman, the head of Yisrael Beiteinu, sent a letter to Lapid calling for a meeting with Eisenkot and Bennett to discuss a potential government following a new election.[125] Gantz and The Democrats leader Golan were notably excluded by Lieberman.[126] Lieberman and Bennett met the same day and discussed the Gaza war, hostage deal negotiations, and the "Israeli economy."[127] Eisenkot and Lieberman met on 4 September and discussed "coordination" among Zionist parties on forming a new government, while Bennett met with Eisenkot on 7 September and talked about "creating a new leadership."[128] Eisenkot also met with Lapid that same day.[129] Lieberman remarked on 20 September that he would be unwilling to sit with Likud or Ra'am in a government.[130] A meeting held that same night included Lapid, Eisenkot, Lieberman and Golan. Bennett was unavailable as he was observing Yahrzeit, while Gantz did not attend because of a "scheduling conflict". The attendees agreed to form a professional body in the future which would focus on the creation of a "national constitution", pursuing "universal military conscription" and "preserving the character of the State of Israel as a Jewish, democratic and Zionist state."[131]
In January 2026, Eisenkot's office confirmed a report by Channel 12 that he proposed a joint slate between his party, Bennett's and Yesh Atid.[132] Several months later, Eisenkot opposed Bennett's proposal to merge their parties.[133]
Lieberman sent a letter to Lapid, Golan, Eisenkot and Bennett in January, laying out principles for a new government, focusing on conscripting the Ultra-Orthodox into the IDF.[134]
In February 2026, Ayelet Shaked, who served as justice minister in the thirty-fourth government of Israel, suggested in an interview with Hevrat HaHadashot that Bennett and Lieberman "join forces".[135]
Yashar and Yisrael Beiteinu are reportedly considering an electoral alliance, as of early May 2026.[update][136] Several days later, the two parties agreed to further coordinate their efforts.[137] Lieberman remarked at an 11 May party press conference that he and Eisenkot would determine whether to merge their parties at a later date, closer to the election.[59]
Bennett hosted Eisenkot at his home in Ra'anana on 18 May; they discussed the possibility of "establishing a Zionist government based on an alliance of those who serve."[138]
Together
On 26 April 2026, Bennett 2026 and Yesh Atid announced their intention to contest the election jointly in an alliance named Together.[139]
Yesh Atid
Yesh Atid held its first leadership primary on 28 March 2024, in which party leader Yair Lapid narrowly beat MK Ram Ben-Barak 308 votes to 279, a margin of 29 votes.[140]
Bennett 2026
In April 2025, Naftali Bennett registered a new party called Bennett 2026,[141] and announced the following November that he would contest the 2026 election.[142] Bennett announced a new initiative in April 2026 geared towards those with disabilities.[143]
Opinion polls
This graph shows the polling trends from the 2022 elections until the next election day using a local regression. Scenario polls are not included here. For parties not crossing the electoral threshold (currently 3.25%) in any given poll, the number of seats is calculated as a percentage of the 120 total seats.
See also
Notes
- Together is a joint list between Bennett 2026, headed by Bennett, and Yesh Atid, headed by Yair Lapid, with Bennett heading the combined list.[1] The 24 seats mentioned here are Yesh Atid's
- The Democrats' members sit in the 25th Knesset as members of the Israeli Labor Party.[2]
