Everything you need to understand Israel's historic election on October 27th โ parties, polls, key issues, and what it means for different people.
Israel is heading to its first elections since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack โ the first time in nearly 40 years an election has been held on its originally scheduled date. This is more than a normal election.
All 120 seats in the Knesset (parliament) are up for grabs. A party needs at least 61 seats to form a government โ usually requiring a coalition of multiple parties.
You vote for a party, not a person. Parties that win at least 3.25% of the vote get seats (roughly 4 seats). The more votes, the more seats. Then parties try to form a 61-seat coalition.
โ ๏ธ Important: If a party gets less than 3.25% of the vote, they don't enter the Knesset โ and all the votes cast for them are completely wasted. They don't count toward any other party. This is why small parties often merge, and why voting for a party hovering near the threshold is a big risk.
Will Netanyahu stay PM or will Eisenkot (or Bennett) form the next government? Neither bloc can easily reach 61. The Arab parties (12 seats) hold significant kingmaker potential.
First full-term Knesset completion in 50+ years. The Knesset formally dissolved on July 17, 2026. This election will define Israel's path after one of its most traumatic periods.
Five burning topics dominate this campaign. Click each to learn more.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. The opposition demands an independent state commission of inquiry to investigate government failures. Netanyahu's bloc opposes it, passing their own politically-appointed commission instead. This is a referendum on Netanyahu's leadership.
๐ก๏ธ Boiling HotFor decades, ultra-Orthodox Jewish men were exempt from military service to study Torah. There were 400 exemptions in 1948 โ today it's hundreds of thousands. The Supreme Court ruled exemptions unconstitutional. With Israel fighting on multiple fronts, secular Israelis are furious. Netanyahu's coalition includes two Haredi parties (Shas, UTJ) who fiercely oppose the draft, creating a massive rift.
๐ก๏ธ Boiling HotHousing prices and everyday costs have skyrocketed. Young families can barely afford to buy homes. War spending has strained the economy. This is the #1 issue for Arab citizens and a top concern for most secular Israelis.
๐ก๏ธ Very HotNetanyahu's government tried to dramatically weaken the Supreme Court in 2023, triggering historic protests with over 500,000 marching weekly. The conflict over who controls the judiciary continues to divide Israeli society deeply. Netanyahu is also on trial for corruption โ the courts are directly relevant to him personally.
๐ก๏ธ Very HotAll hostages have returned home, but the emotional wound runs deep. Many families feel the government didn't do enough, or sacrificed hostages for political reasons. What happens to Gaza โ who governs it, whether settlements expand โ is fiercely contested between left and right.
๐ก๏ธ HotIsraeli politics is roughly divided into two competing blocs, plus the Arab parties who usually don't join either government.
Likud + Shas + UTJ + Religious ZionismโZehut + Otzma Yehudit
Right to far-right. Wants Netanyahu to stay PM. Pro-settlement, opposes a state commission, supports Haredi draft exemptions. Needs 61+ to govern but currently stuck around 51-52.
Yashar! + Together + Democrats + Yisrael Beiteinu
Center to center-left. Wants Netanyahu out. Pro-state-commission, pro-Haredi-draft, anti-judicial-overhaul. Also around 52 seats โ deadlock! Arab parties (12 seats) could tip the balance.
Joint List + Ra'am
Represent Arab citizens (~20% of population). Usually not invited into governing coalitions. But in 2021, Ra'am joined Bennett/Lapid's coalition โ showing it's possible. Their 12 seats could be decisive.
Where do the parties stand politically? From far-left to far-right โ this is the ideological map of Israel's 2026 election. Click any party dot to learn more.
๐ Scroll left/right to see all parties
โ ๏ธ Note on Arab parties: On land & security they are far-left. But on religion & social issues (LGBTQ+, gender roles) they are conservative. The spectrum here reflects their security/land position โ the primary axis of Israeli politics.
In Israel, left vs. right is less about economics and more about security, land, and religion.
More open to a Palestinian state eventually. Support separation from Gaza & West Bank. Pro-democracy, pro-Supreme Court independence. Generally secular. Anti-religious coercion. Support drafting Haredim.
Security-first, pragmatic. Open to deals with Palestinian Authority but not Hamas. Support drafting Haredim. Mixed on settlements. Pro-democratic institutions. Flexible on religion.
Oppose Palestinian state. Support West Bank settlements and even annexation. Strong military action. Religious nationalist values. Often protect Haredi draft exemptions. Very skeptical of courts.
Click any party card to expand the full breakdown โ including what it means for different groups of people.
Eisenkot was IDF Chief of Staff, then joined Benny Gantz's Blue & White. After resigning in 2025, he built Yashar from scratch. Uniquely, he takes a softer line on Haredi draft than other opposition parties and has signaled he'd sit with Shas โ making him more coalition-flexible. His military credibility gives him broad appeal across security-minded voters. He's led polls for months, sometimes overtaking Likud itself.
Bennett (right-wing settler background turned centrist-pragmatist) and Lapid (secular centrist) previously formed Israel's unity government (2021-22). They merged their parties in April 2026. Bennett, despite his religious Zionist roots, strongly supports drafting Haredim and built a reputation for pragmatic, technocratic governance. The combination gives them broad appeal from moderate right to center-left.
Netanyahu is on trial for corruption (bribery, fraud, breach of trust) โ a fact that dominates politics. He's the longest-serving PM in Israeli history. His Likud ran the judicial overhaul, which caused massive protests in 2023. After Oct 7, his "security reputation" took a huge hit. He's tried to brand this election around Trump, Iran, and the idea of a "broad national government." The party is slipping โ down from 32 seats in 2022 to ~22 now.
Israel's left has collapsed over decades โ from dominant in the 1970s to a minor force. Merging Labor and Meretz was a survival move. Yair Golan, a general turned politician, leads them โ giving military credibility to a left-wing platform. They strongly oppose Netanyahu and are the strongest voice for Palestinian rights and democratic values among Zionist parties.
Lieberman was Netanyahu's ally for decades, then became his fiercest opponent โ largely over Haredi draft laws. He's blunt, aggressive in style, and has a loyal secular-Russian base. Represents Israelis who are both nationalist (hawkish, anti-Palestinian concessions) AND anti-religion-in-politics โ a combination that's unique in Israeli politics.
Founded by the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef in 1984, Shas represents Sephardi/Mizrahi Haredim who faced discrimination from the Ashkenazi establishment. They're not just religious โ they also advocate for social welfare for the poor. Deri's story is dramatic: convicted of bribery in 2000, returned to politics, then convicted again of tax offenses, yet returned as Interior Minister โ only to be dismissed by Supreme Court order.
UTJ is actually an alliance of two sub-parties: Agudat Yisrael (Hassidic streams) and Degel Hatorah (Lithuanian/Litvish). Their political direction is set by senior rabbis, not elected politicians. They fight for maximum Haredi autonomy โ separate schools (no secular curriculum), no military service, no internet. They passed the controversial "Basic Law: Torah Study" to constitutionally entrench yeshiva funding.
Smotrich is Finance Minister and wants to annex the West Bank. He's the ideological architect of the judicial overhaul. Ran with libertarian Zehut (Moshe Feiglin) to boost their combined vote above the 3.25% threshold โ an unusual pairing of religious nationalism with libertarianism. They're slipping in polls but still likely to pass the threshold.
Ben-Gvir hung a portrait of Baruch Goldstein (who massacred 29 Palestinians in 1994) in his home until forced to remove it. He was barred from IDF service for "extremism." Yet he served as National Security Minister under Netanyahu, significantly expanding police powers. He left the coalition when Netanyahu agreed to a Gaza hostage deal. His base is young, Sephardi-Haredi-adjacent, and deeply frustrated with Israel's direction.
Three Arab parties merged (Hadash โ communist/socialist, Ta'al โ Arab nationalist) to stay above the threshold. They rarely join coalitions and mainly serve as the parliamentary voice for Arab citizens. They oppose Netanyahu strongly but are unlikely to join any government. Their mere existence and vote count affects which bloc can form a coalition.
Abbas made a radical break from Arab political tradition by joining the Bennett-Lapid government and securing billions in investment for Arab communities. His #2 slot now goes to Yoav Segalovitz โ a Jewish Zionist politician โ a remarkable step toward integration. He's still Islamic-conservative (anti-LGBTQ, traditional family values) but pragmatic on national politics. Could be a kingmaker again.
Winter's party uniquely includes Arab-Israeli activist Yoseph Haddad and former Jerusalem deputy mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum. It's an attempt to build a new political force from people who fought in the war but weren't responsible for its political failures. They hover right at the 3.25% threshold โ if they cross it, they could take seats from Smotrich's Religious Zionism.
Based on official party manifestos, translated from Hebrew. Source: Israel 2050 Smart Voter's Guide (israel2050.co.il). Select a topic below to see what each party says โ and notice which parties have no platform on certain issues!
๐ฅ Health โ healthcare system, waiting times, medication basket, hospitals
๐ Education โ school system, core curriculum, teacher salaries, higher education
๐ Housing โ apartment prices, rental costs, construction, land reform
๐ฐ Economy & Cost of Living โ taxes, wages, imports, monopolies, labour market
๐๏ธ Democracy & Governance โ elections, judiciary, separation of powers, local government
๐ Transport โ public transport, roads, rail, periphery connections
๐ค Welfare โ pensions, benefits, disabled citizens, elderly, post-trauma support
๐ฟ Environment & Climate โ climate, energy, pollution, renewable energy, water
โก๏ธ Religion & State โ Shabbat, marriage law, conversion, rabbinate monopoly, draft exemptions
๐ช Security โ IDF, Gaza, Iran, military strength, reservists, defence strategy
๐๏ธ Gaza Tomorrow โ What should happen in Gaza after the war? This is one of the most divisive questions in Israeli politics. Positions range from full annexation and Jewish resettlement to Palestinian statehood. Based on official party positions and statements.
๐ Context: After the October 7 attack and the Gaza war, Israel controls around 53% of the Gaza Strip militarily. Hamas still exists but has been significantly weakened. A US-brokered ceasefire began in late 2025. The big question for the next Israeli government: what comes next? Who governs Gaza? Do Israeli troops stay? Are settlements allowed? Is a Palestinian state possible?
๐บ๏ธ The Spectrum of Gaza Plans โ In Plain English
Several major parties โ including Likud, Shas, UTJ and Ra'am โ are running on manifestos that are between 17 and 27 years old, or have no manifesto at all. This means their stated platform cannot be officially compared on these topics. This is itself a meaningful political fact: voters must judge them on their record and statements rather than written commitments.
๐ Source: Party platform data translated from the Smart Voter's Guide by Israel 2050 โ an apolitical, non-partisan organisation. The site is in Hebrew: israel2050.co.il/election ๐
New to Israeli politics? Here are the key terms you need to know.
Israel's parliament, with 120 seats. You vote for a party, not a person. If a party wins 10% of votes, they get 12 seats. Then parties negotiate to form a coalition government of 61+ seats.
A party must win at least 3.25% of the total vote to enter the Knesset โ roughly 4 seats. If they fall short, all their votes are wasted and redistributed. This is why small parties merge!
No party wins a majority alone. After elections, the President tasks the most likely leader to form a coalition. They negotiate with other parties, offering cabinet seats and policy concessions in exchange for support.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews who follow a strictly traditional religious lifestyle. Men typically study Torah full-time, don't serve in the army, and have large families. They make up ~13% of Israel's population and are a decisive voting bloc.
Jews who combine Orthodox religious practice with strong Zionist national ideology โ believing settling the whole Land of Israel is a religious commandment. Different from Haredim, who are often non-Zionist or anti-Zionist.
Netanyahu's 2023 plan to weaken Israel's Supreme Court โ reducing its ability to strike down laws and appointing judges through political committees. Caused Israel's biggest-ever protests (500k+ weekly). The conflict continues in 2026.
Israeli citizens (mostly men) must do annual reserve military service. Since Oct 7, many have served months instead of weeks. Secular Israelis resent that Haredi men are exempt โ creating deep social tension.
The idea of creating an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. Mainstream Israeli politics has shifted significantly โ even most centrists now say "not now" or "not with Hamas." Left-wing parties are the only ones explicitly supporting it long-term.
Israeli Jewish communities built in the West Bank (territories occupied since 1967). The international community generally considers them illegal. Right-wing parties support their expansion; left-wing parties oppose it. ~700,000 Israelis live in settlements.
The group of right-wing parties that support Netanyahu staying as PM: Likud, Shas, UTJ, Religious Zionism, and Otzma Yehudit. They need 61+ seats to govern but are stuck at ~52.
Parties that want Netanyahu out: Yashar!, Together, Democrats, Yisrael Beiteinu. Also stuck at ~52. They need Arab party support (which is complicated) or defections from the right to form a government.
An independent judicial investigation into what went wrong before/during October 7. Opposition demands it; Netanyahu's government opposes it (proposing a politically appointed commission instead). Whether a PM who was in office during a failure can control the inquiry into that failure is deeply controversial.