Israel Elections 2026

Middle Israel: Netanyahu's election lies pose a dangerous threat to Israeli democracy - opinion

Netanyahu's election lies go beyond political deception, threatening public trust in democracy and deepening divisions that could tear Israeli society apart.

|ByAMOTZ ASA-EL
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Likud’s election headquarters, where his confidence in his party’s support contrasted with polls that had consistently underestimated Likud’s strength.
BURNING IMAGES of US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the war with Iran in April.

After America's midterms, the clock is ticking for Israel to bridge its political divides

NATIONAL AFFAIRS: As hostility grows on the American Left and Right, prolonged coalition negotiations and the prospect of another election carry a strategic cost.

|ByHERB KEINON
Yisrael Beiteinu party chairman MK Avigdor Liberman at the party’s election headquarters in Tel Aviv, on Israel’s general election night, October 27, 2026.

Liberman willing to compromise on haredi IDF draft law, UTJ chairman welcomes 'flexibility'

"It is heartening to see the flexibility displayed by all political players regarding the issue of military conscription," UTJ chairman Yakov Asher said in response to Liberman's announcement.

|ByMAYA ZANGER-SHAMIR, JAMES GENN
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman seen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, September 17, 2025

Saudi normalization will not happen under Netanyahu government, source says - report

"Saudi Arabia wants peace, negotiations, and for the Israeli-Palestinian issue to be closed via a two-state solution," the Saudi source said. "But Netanyahu is not there."

|ByMAYA ZANGER-SHAMIR

Eisenkot's Yashar party says Likud MKs, ministers called party list members

Likud responded to the claims later on Saturday, saying that Eisenkot is "under pressure from those who are disrupting their plans to cooperate with parties that support terrorism."

OCTOBER 31, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Yashar party leader and former IDF chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot at the Kotel, October 21, 2026.

Victors and vanquished alike: Israel cannot afford another war among itself - opinion

The government belongs to those elected to lead it. The country belongs to all of us. I believe Rabbi Sacks would have recognized this as the essence of covenant.

OCTOBER 31, 2026ByJONATHAN LIEBERMAN
A woman passes by a banner depicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump day after the country held a national election, in Jerusalem, October 28, 2026

Joint List's Tibi says his party will not join coalition, supports replacing Knesset speaker

On Sunday, Tibi announced a plan to support an alternative government from outside the coalition in exchange for commitments to address the needs of Arab society.

OCTOBER 31, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
MK Ahmad Tibi attends Hadash–Ta'al faction meeting, at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on June 29, 2026.

Eisenkot lays out four coalition principles, says 'any MK' who accepts them can join government

Eisenkot said on Saturday that any MK willing to endorse his four principles could join a broad Zionist government, as he seeks to translate the October 27 election results into a new coalition.

OCTOBER 31, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot alongside members of his party at the party’s election headquarters in Tel Aviv, following the closing of polling stations and the release of exit poll results on Israel’s general election night, October 28, 2026.

Yisrael Beytenu’s Liberman denies that he wants position of Knesset speaker

"I have received several inquiries regarding demands for the position of Knesset speaker. I have no desire and no intention of becoming Knesset speaker," Liberman wrote on social media.

OCTOBER 31, 2026ByAVI SOLOMON, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Yisrael Beiteinu party chairman MK Avigdor Liberman at the party’s election headquarters in Tel Aviv, on Israel’s general election night, October 27, 2026.

Mossad to provide Shin Bet with assessment of suspected foreign interference in elections

At this stage, it is unclear whether the assessment includes investigative findings regarding potential foreign election interference or only an expert opinion.

OCTOBER 31, 2026ByAMIR BOHBOT, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Israelis cast their votes at a polling station in Jerusalem during Election Day, October 27, 2026.

What are we for? The question Israel's political opposition can no longer avoid - opinion

Naftali Bennett's government collapsed after roughly a year because it could not govern. Disdain is a powerful electoral tool. It is a weak foundation for a lasting coalition.

OCTOBER 31, 2026ByGEORGE BIRNBAUM
Israel’s election campaign is gathering pace, with the country’s political parties competing over the questions of security, leadership and the direction Israel takes after three years of war.

Politics, punditry, and parenthood: Living life through country music - opinion

To this day, I still prefer cold Coke to white wine. And as far as music is concerned, I have fallen deeply in love with the country song, which some would say is even less refined than pop.

OCTOBER 31, 2026ByHERB KEINON
Cartoon drawing of a bearded cowboy wearing a red-and-white cowboy hat, holding a can while declining a glass of wine being poured from a bottle, with the word "Country" and an American flag guitar in the background.

Who are the high-profile names making their way into politics for the first time? - explainer

Alongside veteran politicians, several high-profile figures with notable personal and political stories will enter parliament. These are the names to know.

OCTOBER 31, 2026ByAVI SOLOMON
Yaakov Bardugo, a new member of the Likud party, attends an event presenting the party’s new candidates ahead of the upcoming general elections, in Jerusalem, September 8, 2026.

Below the threshold: Elkin, Sukkot, Radman among those left out of 26th Knesset after election

From Likud's Ze'ev Elkin to protest leader Moshe Radman, Tuesday's election left several prominent Israeli political figures without Knesset seats.

OCTOBER 31, 2026ByAVI SOLOMON
Ze'ev Elkin, Zvi Sukkot, and Moshe Radman, three prominent political figures who failed to secure seats in the 26th Knesset following Tuesday's Israeli election.