Israel Election 2026: Key Candidates, Issues and What to Watch

Israel’s 26th Knesset election is being held on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. The central question is not simply which party wins the most votes: Israelis vote for party lists, and the next prime minister must be able to command a parliamentary majority. With 120 seats divided proportionally, the coalition that can assemble support from at least 61 members may govern. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a leading challenge from former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, but several other party leaders and smaller lists could determine which side can form a government.

Across Israel, polling is scheduled from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Israel Standard Time (Jerusalem time, UTC+02:00) on Tuesday, October 27. That is 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. UTC. Israel ended daylight saving time on October 25, so the election-day offset is UTC+02:00. For Australian readers, the scheduled 10:00 p.m. close is Wednesday, October 28, at 7:00 a.m. AEDT (UTC+11:00) in Sydney, 6:00 a.m. AEST (UTC+10:00) in Brisbane, and 4:00 a.m. AWST (UTC+08:00) in Perth. Australia uses several time zones, and some states observe daylight saving while others do not. Reuters’ election-day guide, the Israel clock-change notice, and the Reserve Bank of Australia’s daylight-saving schedule provide the relevant timing details.

How Israel’s election determines the next government

The ballot is for a national party list, not a direct choice between prime-ministerial candidates. Seats are allocated in proportion to the votes received by lists that clear the electoral threshold. A list must receive at least 3.25% of valid votes to qualify for Knesset representation. The Knesset’s overview of Israel’s electoral system explains how the proportional system allocates seats; its electoral-threshold guide sets out the current cutoff.

Because no single list is expected to hold 61 seats, party leaders will need to negotiate after the vote. A list’s ability to cross the threshold can matter as much as whether it finishes first: a small party that clears the cutoff may contribute the seats that put a coalition over the line, while one that falls short receives no seats. The Central Elections Committee’s official candidate-list guide is the reference for the approved lists and their nominees.

Key candidates and party leaders

These are leaders of competing lists, not names on a presidential-style ballot for prime minister:

• Benjamin Netanyahu: The incumbent prime minister leads Likud and is seeking to continue in office. Supporters point to his security record and experience; critics focus on the failures surrounding the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks, the conduct and aftermath of the wars, and his ongoing corruption trial; he denies the charges.
• Gadi Eisenkot: The former Israel Defense Forces chief leads the centrist Yashar! list and is Netanyahu’s main challenger. His campaign has emphasized accountability for the October 7 security failures and a change in leadership. The Israel Democracy Institute’s Yashar! profile describes the list and its stated aims.
• Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid: The former prime ministers are running together on a joint list. Their alliance combines Bennett’s right-wing background with Lapid’s centrist base, creating another possible route to a governing majority.
• Yair Golan and Avigdor Lieberman: Golan leads The Democrats, while Lieberman leads Yisrael Beiteinu. Their parties offer distinct alternatives within the opposition and could become important coalition partners.
• Potential coalition partners: Far-right leaders Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, ultra-Orthodox parties, and Arab-led lists such as Ra’am and the Joint List could all affect the arithmetic. Whether larger parties are willing to govern with or rely on a smaller list is a separate question from how many seats it wins.

For a fuller guide to the leading figures and their positioning, see Reuters’ candidate profiles and the Associated Press election-day report.

Questions shaping the vote

Who is accountable for October 7 and what does security mean now?

The first election since the October 7 attacks is a judgment on the security breakdown, Netanyahu’s leadership, and the response that followed. Voters are also weighing regional security, the future of Gaza, and how Israel should handle threats from Iran and other armed groups. A change of government could change priorities or tactics without automatically producing a different policy on every front.

Who serves in the military, and who carries the burden?

Exemptions from compulsory military service for many ultra-Orthodox men have become a major dispute as the country relies heavily on reservists. Eisenkot has pledged to end the de facto exemptions. The issue could shape coalition negotiations because ultra-Orthodox parties have been important partners in Netanyahu-led governments.

What happens to the courts and Israel’s political checks and balances?

The 2023 judicial overhaul and the government’s role in appointing judges remain contentious. Critics say the changes weaken judicial independence; supporters say they rebalance power between elected officials and the courts. Netanyahu’s legal cases are part of the political debate, but the election does not decide their legal outcome.

Will the result change the Palestinian issue or the cost of living?

Voters are also watching the future of Gaza, West Bank settlements and violence, Israel’s international relationships, and household costs after years of conflict. Recent Associated Press reporting notes that the leading Jewish parties share significant overlap on security and Palestinian statehood, even as they differ on accountability, tactics, and coalition partners. That makes it important to compare specific proposals rather than assume a new prime minister would mean an immediate policy reversal.

What to watch after polls close

Exit polls released after 10:00 p.m. Israel Standard Time are estimates, not official results. The next clues are the count for lists near the 3.25% threshold, the final seat totals, and which leaders publicly support a coalition. The Central Elections Committee says final results are scheduled for publication by November 4; follow its official results portal for the count.

After the results are finalized, President Isaac Herzog will consult party leaders and ask the member of Knesset he considers most likely to succeed to try to form a government. That nominee has up to 42 days, and smaller lists may gain influence as larger parties negotiate over policy and cabinet posts. If no one can assemble a government, further attempts or another election may follow while the outgoing government remains caretaker. The AP’s explainer on the post-election process outlines why the prime minister may not be known on election night.

The clearest way to read the Israel election 2026 is to separate the party vote from the government-forming process. The seat count will show which lists have leverage; coalition agreements will show whether those lists can turn their votes into a governing majority.