Israel to vote in October as Netanyahu support slips amid controversies

Israelis will vote in October, as polling suggests Netanyahu faces battle to secure power Mon 13 Jul 2026 at 12:38pm In short: Israelis will likely vote on October 27 in an election that will serve as a referendum on Benjamin Netanyahu's legacy. Current polling suggests support for Mr Netanyahu's Likud party has slipped to a point where it is not guaranteed to be the largest in the Israeli parliament. What's next? October 27 is the last-possible moment for an election to be held, after the Knesset’s four year term expires on Friday. Israelis will head to the polls on the last Tuesday in October for an election that will serve as a referendum on the legacy of the country's longest-serving prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Current polling suggests Mr Netanyahu could be in trouble, with data in recent weeks showing support for his Likud party has slipped to a point where it is not guaranteed to be the largest in the Israeli parliament. The October 27 polling date is the last possible moment for an election to be held, after the Knesset's four-year term expires this coming Friday. Mr Netanyahu has faced sustained criticism from across the political divide, with accusations he has mismanaged wars in Gaza, Lebanon and with Iran, and that he has shirked responsibility for the multitude of security failures that allowed Hamas's deadly attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Israeli forces remain inside occupied territory in southern Lebanon and in Gaza, despite ceasefires technically being in force on both fronts. Israeli strikes in Gaza on Sunday killed at least six people, including a nine-year-old girl, according to local health authorities. Mr Netanyahu's supporters have argued he is responsible for bolstering Israel's power in the region and has pursued major military operations, including against Iran, which have targeted existential threats to the Jewish state. Polling spells trouble for Knesset Polling by Israel's public broadcaster KAN and its most prominent commercial television network Channel 12 has Likud gaining 23 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. That puts it neck-and-neck with new party Yashar, established by former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot. The two networks' polling shows the Beyachad bloc, the joint ticket led by former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, will only secure 16 seats. Mr Bennett and Mr Lapid's support has dropped since they banded together. The right-wing Channel 14 is showing far stronger turnout for Likud — securing enough of the vote to gain 33 seats in the Knesset, compared to 21 for Yashar. Given the split in the vote and the need for parties to form coalitions to form government, focus will likely shift to the smaller Arab-Israeli parties in any post-election negotiations to form a majority in the Knesset. Many of the country's Arab-Israeli communities are experiencing high crime rates and feel they have been neglected since October 7. Controversies plague Netanyahu government Mr Netanyahu's current government has been a coalition, which has included hardline Jewish nationalist parties. That has led to the appointment of controversial figures to key ministries, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Mr Smotrich has dramatically expanded the approval of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, developments which are considered illegal under international law. Mr Ben-Gvir, who has convictions for terrorism offences, was handed control of the nation's police and prisons and has pushed policies including the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of violent offences through Israel's military justice system. Tensions within the coalition have also boiled over, particularly on the issue of drafting members of Israel's ultra-orthodox citizens into the military. That followed a landmark ruling in the Israeli Supreme Court that the sweeping exemptions afforded to the conservative religious community were unlawful — but some within the coalition have demanded the prime minister reinstate the protections. During this latest term in office, the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Mr Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza, and he has appeared before domestic courts on corruption charges. US President Donald Trump had urged Israel’s President Isaac Herzog to pardon the prime minister, a demand he has so far refused.