Netanyahu fighting for his political life in Israeli election

On October 27, 2026, Israelis voted in their first parliamentary elections since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, resulting in no single bloc securing the 61 seats needed for an outright majority. The high voter turnout of 77.7%, the highest since 1999, reflected widespread dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and growing concerns over security failures during the recent attacks.

Opposition parties and Arab-Israeli groups like Ra'am and Joint List are positioning themselves as potential kingmakers in a hung parliament. Arab-majority lists could play a decisive role despite not forming a government due to their significant 20% of Israel's population. Meanwhile, protests against Netanyahu in Tel Aviv called for an inquiry into security failures.

Former Israeli army chief Gadi Eisenkot emerged as Netanyahu’s main rival but neither side achieved a clear majority. The election results are testing Netanyahu’s ability to form and maintain a coalition government amid ongoing regional tensions and domestic issues like exemptions from military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews.