Israel Holds General Election to Determine Netanyahu's Future
Israel holds a general election on October 27 to determine if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will retain power or be replaced by rival Gadi Eisenkot.
Israel held general elections on October 27, 2026, to fill all 120 seats in the Knesset of Israel. This marks the first national vote since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza. The election serves as a referendum on the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu, who is fighting to retain his premiership against primary rival and retired general Gadi Eisenkot.
Polls indicated a tight race between Netanyahu's religious-nationalist alliance, projected to win 50 seats, and a Jewish-led opposition bloc projected to win 52 seats. Because neither side is expected to reach the 61-seat majority, Palestinian-led parties—projected to win approximately 13 seats—could determine the outcome. Potential scenarios include a new coalition for Netanyahu, an opposition-led government under Eisenkot or Naftali Bennett, or a national unity government.
The campaign focused on national security, the threat from Iran, and internal conflict. Critics highlight Netanyahu's legacy of settlement expansion and the arming of settler extremists in the West Bank. While Eisenkot has vowed to crack down on settler violence, he does not support a Palestinian state and would allow settlement growth in 60% of the West Bank. U.S. President Donald Trump has long backed Netanyahu's policies, reducing the likelihood of external pressure to reverse these strategies.
