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<\/a><\/p>\nElection campaign posters are seen outside a polling station in Givatayim during Election Day, October 27, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni\/FLASH90)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
It\u2019s the first parliamentary election since Hamas\u2019s Oct. 7, 2023, mass attack and comes amid security concerns that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday framed as a fight for \u201cIsrael\u2019s existence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yet, political analysts who spoke to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in recent days said the vote for the 26th Knesset, Israel\u2019s parliament, was more about domestic issues, namely the future character of the country as a democratic and liberal state.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a referendum about Israeli democracy,\u201d said Udi Sommer, a professor of political science who heads the Barak Leadership Center at Tel Aviv University. \u201cIt\u2019s also about Netanyahu\u2019s performance and accountability for the people who were in charge on Oct. 7.\u201d<\/p>\n
The question of whether Netanyahu and his coalition of far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties, which were in office when the Hamas attacks occurred, should remain in power or whether it is time for a change appears to be at the heart of the election.<\/p>\n
Facing off against Netanyahu\u2019s bloc is an ideologically diverse group of opposition parties led by former army chief Gadi Eisenkot.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis election is consequential for both sides,\u201d Tani Frank, director of the Shalom Hartman Institute\u2019s Center for Judaism and State Policy, told JTA.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Netanyahu, it could be his last major opportunity \u2014 not necessarily because he has set a retirement date, but because he may see the remainder of the Trump administration as a final window to secure what he views as long-term strategic gains for Israel, particularly completing the mission in Iran and expanding and consolidating the Abraham Accords,\u201d Frank said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the opposition, the election is framed as an urgent effort to protect Israel\u2019s democracy and international standing, restore effective governance, address the rapidly growing Haredi community, and ensure its fuller integration into Israeli society,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
According to data shared Sunday by the Central Elections Committee, roughly 7.3 million Israelis are eligible to vote in the election. Additionally, there are estimates that tens of thousands of Israeli nationals living abroad have returned to cast their ballots \u2013 literally a slip of paper placed inside a blue envelope. Voting is conducted in person, generally at the polling station assigned to the voter\u2019s registered address.<\/p>\n
Election Day is a national holiday in Israel, with most workplaces and schools closed. Shops and entertainment venues, however, remain open, with some stores offering Election Day sales, lending the day a celebratory feel.<\/p>\n
According to the Central Elections Committee, 12,018 polling stations will be set up across the country, with around 18,000 ballot boxes and 450 million ballot papers printed for the election. The papers bear the letters or acronyms identifying the competing party lists.<\/p>\n
Thousands of election workers and volunteers will staff the polling stations, while around 20,000 police officers will be deployed nationwide \u201cto ensure that all eligible voters can safely reach the thousands of polling stations across the country and exercise their right to vote,\u201d police said in a statement on Monday.<\/p>\n
The election committee also said approximately 15,000 cameras would be used by election-integrity inspectors to help detect irregularities at polling stations. Police said their cyber units would work to prevent the spread of disinformation online.<\/p>\n
These measures come as the country prepares for a closer-than-ever and high-stakes election.<\/p>\n
According to the final set of public opinion polls, published Friday, neither of the main political blocs is projected to secure the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member Knesset.<\/p>\n
Although Israelis do not vote directly for prime minister, Netanyahu and Eisenkot are the leading contenders to form the next government, though a few other prominent leaders could emerge. The outcome will depend on which party leaders can assemble a parliamentary majority.<\/p>\n
Most polls published in the final days of the campaign put Netanyahu\u2019s bloc at around 50 seats, while Eisenkot\u2019s Yashar party and its potential partners appear better positioned but still short of a majority of 61 seats. The two Arab-majority political groupings, the Joint List and Ra\u2019am, are projected to win a combined 14 or 15 seats.<\/p>\n
Neither Arab grouping is expected to join a government led by Netanyahu. Some political analysts believe one or both could nevertheless support an opposition-led minority government, although the terms of any such arrangement remain uncertain.<\/p>\n
Three other parties are also hovering near the electoral threshold: Amcha Yisrael, the Reservists and the Haredi Public Party. Each must win at least 3.25% of the valid votes to enter the Knesset. If one or more crosses that threshold, it could significantly alter the distribution of seats and the prospects for forming a government.<\/p>\n
Frank said the most likely scenario was that neither bloc would win a clear majority.<\/p>\n
\u201cA key question, then, is who remains in power if Israel heads to another election. Netanyahu\u2019s aim would be to stay on as prime minister during additional rounds, as happened in 2019\u20132020,\u201d he said. \u201cThe change bloc, meanwhile, would need to increase its numbers enough to replace the government without depending on Arab parties \u2014 particularly the Joint List \u2014 even if only to enable the transition rather than form a stable long-term coalition.\u201d<\/p>\n