Overview
- Voting took place on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, in Israel's first legislative election since the 7‑October‑2023 attacks and was widely framed as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- Pre‑result polls showed Netanyahu's right and far‑right coalition running neck and neck with the centrist bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot and gave no clear path to the 61 seats needed for an outright majority.
- Observers said the result will decide whether ministers who have pushed to curb the attorney‑general and the Supreme Court gain more power, a change that would reshape judicial checks on government.
- International criticism of Israel's conduct in the Gaza war and continued West Bank settlement expansion heightened scrutiny of the vote and raised concerns about possible regional escalation, including rhetoric toward Iran.
- High voter mobilization, including tens of thousands of returning expatriates and energized Arab‑Israeli turnout, makes extended coalition bargaining likely and leaves everyday policy and security outcomes uncertain for Israeli citizens.