Israelis will vote Tuesday in parliamentary elections that represent the first national ballot since the October 7, 2023, attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza. The election serves as a verdict on the security failures surrounding the attacks and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s management of the ensuing military campaigns. While the election determines the makeup of the Knesset, or parliament, the resulting coalition government may not be finalized for weeks under Israel's political system.
The vote follows three years of war and significant internal division. Prior to the October 7 attacks, Israel experienced widespread protests against the government’s plan to weaken the judiciary. Since then, the country has been engaged in its longest-ever war, leading to a polarized electorate. According to recent reports, almost all Jewish-led political parties in Israel now oppose a 'two-state solution.'
Recent polls indicate a close race between the governing coalition and the main opposition bloc. The opposition is led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief of staff. Netanyahu, 77, has focused his closing campaign on security and his relationship with Donald Trump. He suggested that Trump was willing to take action against the Iranian threat if Netanyahu remains in power, though the White House stated it would not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the U.S. midterm elections in November.
Voters will see the impact in how the government handles the remaining hostages in Gaza and whether it pursues further military escalation or shifts toward the diplomacy mentioned by the opposition. Netanyahu has vowed to continue a campaign of retaliation, while an Eisenkot-led government could change the tone of engagement with global institutions currently critical of Israel's war conduct.
What happens next: Polls open across Israel on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Because no single party typically wins an outright majority in the 120-seat Knesset, the days following the vote will involve negotiations to form a governing coalition. Official results are expected shortly after the vote, but the final formation of a government could take several weeks.