Benjamin Netanyahu
Netanyahu confirmed he will run in the October 27 elections after the Knesset dissolved, managing a caretaker government while expanding IDF control to 70% of Gaza, defying Trump's push to withdraw from Syria and Lebanon, and warning Iran of a "much more powerful" response to any future attack.
Benjamin Netanyahu is running for re-election on October 27 against former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot, after the Knesset dissolved on July 17 and put his government in caretaker status. He is simultaneously managing a widening military footprint across three fronts, the most serious friction of his term with Donald Trump, and an unprecedented domestic confrontation with Israel's courts.\n\nOn Gaza, he directed the IDF to expand territorial control to 70% of the strip, surpassing the 53% ceasefire threshold, building a militarized north-south orange zone through Al-Shuja'iyya and Beit Lahia. He cited Hamas's refusal to disarm under Trump's 20-point plan and framed the expansion as preventing rearmament and eliminating senior commanders.\n\nTrump is pressing him to withdraw from southern Syria and Lebanon, telling him by phone \"they don't want you there, you should redeploy\" after meeting Syrian President al-Sharaa at a NATO summit. Trump said he \"knows who the boss is\" and is weighing giving al-Sharaa a green light to use Syrian forces against Hezbollah. Netanyahu's office reiterated the need for security zones and remains reluctant on concessions. He flew to Washington on July 18 for Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral and to seek a meeting with Trump, though the White House said the visit was not currently on schedule.\n\nOn Iran, as US-Iran conflict escalated after the collapse of the Islamabad MOU and Trump resumed strikes, Netanyahu put Israel on high alert. At the Negev Conference in Dimona he warned that any future Iranian attack would trigger a \"much more powerful\" response, declaring \"the days when someone attacks us and we don't strike back hard are over.\" He also opposed a potential F-35 sale to Turkey, arguing it would destroy the regional power balance.\n\nOn the West Bank, he co-signed with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich an agreement to invest approximately $2.7 billion in 12,000 new housing units across 34 new settlements, and granted city status to the Givat Ze'ev settlement. The Elders, EU, and UN condemned the expansion as undermining the two-state solution.\n\nDomestically, his cabinet voted to stop recognizing Supreme Court rulings it deems unlawful, an escalation triggered by disputes over broadcast regulation and the Civil Service Commissioner appointment. He pushed through a Haredi draft-evader arrest-freeze law over IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir's objection, and pressured the Shin Bet to approve lifelong personal security for himself and his family regardless of the election outcome. NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani is consulting city lawyers on whether to arrest Netanyahu during a September UNGA visit under the ICC warrant; Netanyahu dismissed the threat and accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas.
On their plate
Netanyahu confirmed he will run again in the October 27, 2026 elections after the Knesset dissolved on July 17, putting the government in caretaker status. He is pursuing legislative deals with ultra-Orthodox parties on a modified Basic Law on Torah Study, splitting the attorney general's role, and a Communications Law to keep a united coalition bloc. His main challenger is Gadi Eisenkot of the Yashar party.
Netanyahu directed the IDF to expand control to 70% of Gaza, surpassing the 53% threshold under the October 2025 ceasefire, building a militarized north-south orange zone through Al-Shuja'iyya and Beit Lahia. He cited Hamas's refusal to disarm under Trump's 20-point plan and framed the expansion as preventing rearmament and eliminating senior commanders.
Trump directly pressured Netanyahu by phone to withdraw Israeli forces from southern Syria and Lebanon, telling him "they don't want you there, you should redeploy" after meeting Syrian President al-Sharaa at a NATO summit. Netanyahu's office reiterated the need for security zones along Israel's borders and remains reluctant on concessions, while Trump is considering giving al-Sharaa a green light to attack Hezbollah instead.
As US-Iran conflict escalated after the collapse of the Islamabad MOU and Trump resumed military operations, Netanyahu put Israel on high alert with the IDF preparing for potential entry. At the Negev Conference in Dimona he warned Iran that any future attack would trigger a "much more powerful" response than previous retaliations, declaring "the days when someone attacks us and we don't strike back hard are over."
Netanyahu co-signed with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich an umbrella agreement to invest approximately $2.7 billion in 12,000 new housing units and infrastructure in the northern West Bank, part of a 1.3 billion shekel budget for 34 new settlements. His government also granted city status to the Givat Ze'ev settlement, making it the fifth official city in Judea and Samaria. The Elders, EU, and UN condemned the expansion as undermining the two-state solution.
Netanyahu's cabinet declared it will no longer recognize Supreme Court rulings it deems unlawful, an unprecedented escalation triggered by disputes over the Second Authority for Television and Radio and the Civil Service Commissioner appointment. He also pushed through a Knesset bill freezing arrests of Haredi draft evaders studying Torah 40-45 hours weekly, over objections from IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and legal advisers, and pressured the Shin Bet to approve lifelong personal security for himself and his family.
Netanyahu traveled to Washington on July 18 to attend Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral and seek a meeting with Trump, though the White House said the visit was not currently on schedule. He praised Graham as a great friend of Israel, claimed the Iran terror axis has been shattered via joint US-Israeli operations, and called Israel's recovery since October 7 the greatest comeback in history. He also voiced opposition to a potential F-35 sale to Turkey.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani is consulting city lawyers on whether he can arrest Netanyahu during an expected September UNGA visit, citing the ICC warrant. Netanyahu dismissed the threat and accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas and secretly hating America.
Key relationships
Trump is pressuring Netanyahu to withdraw from Syria and Lebanon, criticized his judgment, and said he knows who the boss is, while Netanyahu resists and seeks a Washington meeting to restore trust.
Netanyahu and Smotrich co-signed the $2.7 billion West Bank settlement investment agreement and are jointly advancing settlement expansion including the Givat Ze'ev city status designation.
NYC Mayor Mamdani is exploring legal avenues to arrest Netanyahu during a September UNGA visit; Netanyahu dismissed the threat and accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas.
Eisenkot leads the Yashar party as Netanyahu's main challenger in the October 27 elections.
IDF Chief of Staff Zamir opposed Netanyahu's Haredi draft-evader arrest-freeze bill, which Netanyahu pushed through anyway.
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