2026 Israeli Elections

Shas pushes tone-deaf Torah study law while soldiers die in Lebanon, Gaza - comment

Those who see Torah study as essential should acknowledge the unique burden borne by those who leave their lives behind to defend the country, and that yeshiva study is not a comparable sacrifice.

Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish sector has been protesting over the attempts to draft young haredi men into the military.
Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yashar party speaks during a conference at Tel Aviv University, May 12, 2026.

Gadi Eisenkot challenges Netanyahu to public debate in response to Likud video criticizing him

 U.S. President Donald Trump points his finger towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they shake hands during a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, December 29, 2025.

Majority of Israelis say Trump should not determine the nature of IDF operations - poll

Likud lawmakers react as they attend a 40 signatures debate, at the plenum hall of the Knesset, in Jerusalem, December 8, 2025

Likud sets July primaries while Netanyahu weighs impact of candidates on election outcome


Israel's next election is a battle for the country's soul - opinion

What is on the minds of Israeli voters as they prepare to head to the ballot box?

Israeli current opposition leader Yair Lapid (L) and former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett stand together in Tel Aviv on May 12, as they hold their inaugural conference of their ‘Together – Under Bennett’s Leadership’ party for the upcoming national election.
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Why polarization, not Iran or Hamas, will decide Israel's next election - analysis

As Israel heads toward another election, the country’s deepest divides may no longer be external enemies – but itself

Opposition leader Yair Lapid and former prime minister Naftali Bennett recently held an inaugural conference of their Together – Under Bennett’s Leadership party for the upcoming national election.
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Eisenkot says he would sit with haredim as Liberman talks loom

His comments come after reports of contacts regarding a possible merger between his party and Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu, who has repeatedly criticized 'draft-dodging.'

Yashar! Party leader Gadi Eisenkot speaks in Herzliya, April 26, 2026; illustrative.

Israel’s upcoming election season could become its ugliest yet - opinion

In the end, Israelis will survive this election. But the real question remains unanswered: What kind of society will be here once it is over?

A man wearing a mask depicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds images of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich at a protest in Tel Aviv, last month. When both sides view the election in such existential terms, restraint disappears, the writer warns.

Middle Israel: How Likud’s primaries poisoned Israeli politics - opinion

The 18-year fencing match between Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin came to a sudden end, thanks to an invention Israel had never seen: primary elections. 

A LIKUD supporter waves the party’s flag at a gathering, a show of grassroots loyalty which has long defined the movement, even as critics say its primaries have reshaped, and at times distorted, who rises within its ranks.

Over half of Israelis want PM Netanyahu to retire from politics, not run in Knesset election - poll

Poll: 55% of Israelis want Netanyahu to step down, as the coalition drops to 49 seats and the opposition strengthens to a majority.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a Jerusalem Day event, May 14, 2026; illustrative.

Arab-Israeli activist Yoseph Haddad weighs new party bid with ex-Jerusalem deputy mayor - exclusive

Haddad is aiming to translate his social media support into real influence within Jerusalem's political apparatus.

Yoseph Haddad demonstrates against a rally marking the "Nakba" at Tel Aviv University, May 15, 2024; illustrative.

Bennett, Eisenkot lead PM suitability polling ahead of Netanyahu - poll

In last week's poll, conducted before the announcement of the Together Party, Bennett and Lapid together held 31 seats. Results of today's poll show a three-seat drop, leaving them at 28 seats.

Naftali Bennett and Gadi Eisenkot at a march for conscripting haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jews into the IDF, in Jerusalem, January 15, 2026; illustrative.

Gadi Eisenkot pledges to place Druze candidate in 'realistic' place on Yashar! Party election list

Yashar! Party Chairman Gadi Eisenkot pledges to place a Druze candidate in a "realistic" spot on the party's Knesset election list, following a tour of Druze towns.

Yashar! Party leader Gadi Eisenkot speaks in Herzliya, April 26, 2026; illustrative.

Economist Shaul Meridor joins Eisenkot's Yashar! Party

Economist Shaul Meridor, former director-general at Israel’s Energy Ministry and head of the Budget Division, joined Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar! Party, pledging to help lead a deep reform in Israel.

Shaul Meridor (L) and Gadi Eisenkot (R), April 28, 2026.