Netanyahu news ahead of Israeli elections
The gist
Israeli President Isaac Herzog tasked former army chief Gadi Eisenkot with forming the next government, passing over Benjamin Netanyahu.
Parties backing Eisenkot hold 67 lawmakers to Netanyahu's 46, ending his Likud's first-place claim to a mandate.
How it unfolded
- Oct 18, 2026President Donald Trump endorsed Netanyahu in a Truth Social post ahead of the October 27 election.
- Oct 27, 2026Israel held its national election. Netanyahu's bloc dropped to 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, Eisenkot's bloc won 48 and Arab-led parties won 19; police arrested three Raam activists over an alleged cash-for-votes scheme.
- Nov 1, 2026Police released two of three suspects in the alleged voter bribery case; elections committee head Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg said foreign-interference claims would not undermine the elections even if substantiated.
Key terms
- Knesset
- The unicameral legislature of Israel, with 120 seats.
- mandate
- The perceived legitimacy, usually from election results, for a party or leader to rule and form a government.
- Joint List
- A left-wing alliance of Arab-majority political parties in Israel representing Arab citizens.
Source: Wikipedia