Live Updates > Live Update Details
2026-07-13 14:22:14
[Israel sets October 27 election, first time in 40 years, Netanyahu faces tough re-election battle] (1) Israel will hold its next general election on October 27, the first time in nearly 40 years that the country has held an election on a legally mandated date. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will also complete his full four-year term. Likud senior member Ofir Katz confirmed that the election will be held on the legally mandated date. The current parliament will end its term on July 17, and parliament is expected to enter its election recess on the same day. All political parties must submit their candidate lists by September 7. (2) The Netanyahu government will become the first Israeli government to complete a full term in more than 50 years. The October election is also the first regular general election held on time since 1988. It is widely expected that this will be the toughest election in Netanyahu's political career. Voters will weigh his leadership performance based on the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, and tensions with the United States. (3) Netanyahu's long-standing image of "security first" is under pressure due to rising casualties, ongoing conflict, and the lack of a clear end-game plan. Corruption allegations and ongoing political infighting also pose challenges to the election. (4) Recent polls show a close race: Channel 12 polls show Likud and the newly formed Yashar party (led by former military leader Eisenkot) tied for first place with 23 seats each; Channel 13 polls predict Eisenkot's party will become the largest party, but the opposition may still fail to reach the 61-seat threshold for a government. (5) Israel uses a proportional representation system, with parliamentary seats allocated proportionally to the votes received by each party. A party must receive at least 3.25% of the national vote to enter parliament. Netanyahu regained power after a snap election in November 2022, and the current ruling coalition was sworn in on December 29, 2022.
