Dossier · Israel
Israel’s 2026 election
On 27 October Israelis elect the 26th Knesset. The race between Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot is tight, and neither bloc currently reaches a majority.
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Factual reporting
Everything in this part is reporting: facts, timeline and answers, each linked to the sources below so you can check them yourself. Something not right? Let us know
Key facts
- The election for the 26th Knesset is on Tuesday 27 October 2026. A government needs the support of at least 61 of the 120 members. [7]
- Parties need at least 3.25% of the vote — about four seats — to enter the Knesset. [1][7]
- The main challenger is former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot and his party Yashar. Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid run together as Beyachad. [3]
- Reuters’ polling average puts Yashar and Likud level. In a Channel 12 poll on 5 October the Eisenkot bloc had 54 seats and the Netanyahu bloc 49. [1][2]
- On 2 October the Supreme Court overturned the Central Elections Committee’s ban on the Arab lists Ra’am and the Joint List, and on MK Ofer Cassif. [4]
- To stay in power, Netanyahu may again need Haredi and far-right partners — an alliance strained by the dispute over Haredi conscription. [7]
GOD News reporting in this dossier
- Analysis
Israel votes on 27 October: the parties, the blocs and the arithmetic
Netanyahu’s Likud and Eisenkot’s Yashar are level in the polls, and neither camp reaches 61 seats. After the Supreme Court reinstated the Arab lists, coalition-building looks harder than ever.
- News
Israel election panel bars two Arab lists as Supreme Court review looms
Israel’s Central Elections Committee has voted to disqualify Ra’am and the Joint List from the October 27 election, while allowing Otzma Yehudit to remain on the ballot. The decisions are not yet final and are expected to move quickly to the Supreme Court.
- Analysis
Israel votes: numbers don't campaign
Henk Folkers on Israel's 27 October election: behind the slogans and stickers lie hard economic and military numbers.
Questions readers ask
How does Israel’s voting system work?
Israel votes for national party lists, not individual constituencies. Seats are divided proportionally among lists that pass the 3.25% threshold. After the vote the president asks the candidate most likely to form a coalition to try. [7][1]
Why do the Arab parties matter?
Arab citizens make up about a fifth of Israel’s population. Several polls show that the anti-Netanyahu camp cannot reach 61 seats without the Arab lists, which makes their participation politically decisive. [2][3]
Can polls predict the outcome?
Polls are snapshots, not forecasts. Pollsters differ widely, and some are linked to political camps. GOD News reports poll averages and names the pollster for each figure. [5]
Sources
Every number in square brackets refers to a source in this list. Open the original, or the web archive copy if a page has changed or disappeared.
- Netanyahu bloc trails rivals in polls ahead of Israel’s October 27 election
- Poll: Eisenkot bloc leads Netanyahu but falls short of majority without Arab parties
- JC poll tracker: Who is on course to win the 2026 Israeli elections?
- Supreme Court allows Cassif, Ra’am, Joint List to run
- Polls — Israel Votes 2026 (poll average)
- 3 years later, Netanyahu faces reckoning over Oct. 7 in Israeli election
- 2026 Israeli legislative election (reference overview: date, 120 seats, 61 for a majority, 3.25% threshold)
- Opinion polling for the 2026 Israeli legislative election (election-silence rule for polls)
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