Israel will hold national elections on October 27 — the first since Hamas launched the Gaza War with its October 7, 2023 massacre that killed, kidnapped, and raped hundreds of Israeli civilians.
Ofir Katz, head of the Israeli parliamentary coalition supporting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, confirmed the date Sunday.
The Israeli Knesset voted almost unanimously to dissolve on May 20, with 106 in favor and zero against in the 120-seat chamber. The vote came after ultra-Orthodox lawmakers (haredi) said they “no longer have trust” in Netanyahu following his refusal to push a bill exempting them from military draft requirements.
Netanyahu will be the first Israeli prime minister to finish the entirety of his term since 1973 — and this will be the first on-schedule election in 40 years.
Netanyahu’s coalition backed the dissolution to control the election timing. The haredi groups wanted a September vote before the Jewish High Holy Days to boost turnout. Instead, the default 90-day timeline from dissolution held.
The Times of Israel noted this marks the first time a new election has been held precisely on schedule in four decades.
But staying on schedule may not be enough to keep Netanyahu in power.
Current polling shows Netanyahu, his Likud party, and their allies would fall short of a majority. The anti-Netanyahu bloc appears closer but also lacks the votes needed.
The Financial Times reported Monday that centrist former military chief Gadi Eisenkot now leads Netanyahu 41-37 percent in public opinion. Eisenkot’s fast-growing Yashar party would be one seat ahead of Likud if the election were held today.
Eisenkot lost his son and two nephews fighting in the Gaza War. He firmly opposes the draft exemptions that fractured Netanyahu’s coalition and has criticized the prime minister as too eager to prolong the war against Hamas. Netanyahu fires back that Eisenkot is going soft on Palestinian terrorists.
Another Netanyahu challenger, former prime minister Naftali Bennett, stumbled after partnering with ex-PM Yair Lapid. Their new “Together” party has dropped to 18 seats or less in current polls.
Netanyahu faces criticism over security failures before the October 7 attacks, his handling of the Gaza War, and Israel’s ongoing conflict with Iran and Hezbollah. Health concerns also linger — the 76-year-old received a pacemaker in 2023 and was treated for prostate cancer in 2026. A long-running corruption controversy continues to dog him.
Still, Netanyahu’s supporters argue he retains formidable political strength. Every coalition lined up against him is more fractious than his own. The UK Guardian begrudgingly acknowledged Netanyahu as a “consummate political survivor who has repeatedly defied expectations.”
The October 27 election will test whether that survival streak continues.
