Israel Elections

Netanyahu calls for coalition of anti-terror parties, Oct. 7 survivors warn against unity gov't

IDI president says Israelis may not accept Arab parties in gov't • Opposition leaders to hold first joint meeting since election • CEC denies Likud request for briefing on suspected interference

|ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Supporters of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud party demonstrate against the formation of a coalition government with Arab political parties in the northern Israeli city of Haifa, November 1, 2026.
A protester holds a placard during a demonstration near the prime minister's residence in Jerusalem on October 31, 2026.

Israel's leaders may not accept Arab parties even if required for coalition, IDI president says

At least two Arab parties, Hadash and Ta’al, have indicated a willingness to set some of their agenda aside to help change Israel’s current leadership.

|ByRUTH EGLASH/JTA
Central Elections Committee head, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, leads a hearing at the Central Elections Committee, at the Knesset in Jerusalem, September 23, 2026

CEC denies Likud request for briefing on suspected interference before election results approved

The CEC chief rejected Likud's demand for an investigative briefing before the election results are approved and said the committee cannot block publication of the results.

|BySARAH BEN-NUN
(Illustrative) A man casts his ballot at a voting station on the morning of the municipal elections, in Ashdod, February 27, 2024

Deadlock aside, turnout statistics are real story in Israel's election - analysis

The familiar faces still lead the major parties and will dominate the coalition negotiations. Beneath that continuity at the top, however, the election has brought considerable change to the ranks.

|ByHERB KEINON

Arab voter turnout would have been lower had there been any other outgoing government - analysis

The memory of October 2000 has not faded, but it has been overtaken by the reality of the past four years, under a government that has done far more than neglect Arab citizens.

OCTOBER 27, 2026ByEDEN BARZOABI
A woman votes during the national election in the Arab city of Umm al-Fahm, northern Israel, October 27, 2026

Israel’s 2026 election could bring record voter turnout across political camps - opinion

Israel’s upcoming election could bring the highest voter turnout in decades, testing the strength and resilience of its democracy.

OCTOBER 27, 2026ByORI WERTMAN
Voters casting ballots in Israel's 25th Knesset election

Parties sidestep app ban inside polling stations, asking voters outside to identify themselves

Barred from using voter-tracking apps inside polling stations, parties including Likud and United Torah Judaism stationed activists outside to ask voters to identify themselves and log their turnout.

OCTOBER 27, 2026ByYEHUDA SHLEZINGER
A Haredi man votes for the 26th Knesset in Jerusalem on October 27, 2026.

Arab Israelis report receiving call to vote on Election Day in name of murdered girl Sousan Sultan

The call was recorded by Sousan Sultan, whose sister, Susan, was killed in April, 2025, and whose husband, Ziad, was murdered in August 2026.

OCTOBER 27, 2026ByTZVI JASPER
Arab Israelis cast their vote at a voting station in Maghar, during the Knesset Elections, on November 1, 2022.

Police lift road closures following fires, floods across Israel

Police also closed Route 6, Route 444, and all roads to and from Eilat, as well as multiple roads in southern Israel, until further notice due to the risk of flash flooding and forest fires.

OCTOBER 27, 2026ByYOAV ETIEL, SIMCHA PASKO, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Firefighters try to extinguish a wildfire near the Ben Shemen Interchange along Highway 6, central Israel, August 4, 2026.

Israelis head to polls as voting begins in pivotal Knesset election

Forces are expected to be deployed at thousands of polling stations nationwide and in surrounding areas to maintain public order and protect public safety and security, the police stated.

OCTOBER 27, 2026ByKESHET NEEV
Voters casting ballots in Israel's 25th Knesset election

Election Day 2026 is a day for democracy and a chance for unity - editorial

Israelis should allow themselves to enjoy the day. Bring children to the polling station. Talk with friends and relatives, including those voting differently.

OCTOBER 27, 2026ByJPOST EDITORIAL
DESPITE HUGE advances in technology, Israeli voters still mark a physical paper ballot and place it in a ballot box. From there, the CEC builds multiple layers of verification around that slip of paper.

Beyond the Headlines: Three small stories, one important message - opinion

Even without multimillion-shekel campaigns trying to influence our opinions, we should remember that we have the right to choose, and not only in the political sense, but in other areas of our lives.

OCTOBER 26, 2026BySIVAN RAHAV MEIR
Inscribing letters in the Torah scroll dedicated to Ofir Libstein, who was murdered on Oct

The campaign ends with Iran, and the question of trust - analysis

Netanyahu says the danger is too great to replace him. His opponents say it is too great to leave him in place. On Tuesday, Israelis will decide which warning they believe.

OCTOBER 26, 2026ByHERB KEINON
Missiles produced by Iran's armed forces are displayed near a row of Iranian flags during commemorations to mark the anniversary of the 1979 Iranian Revolution on February 11, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

Form a government, you can hate each other on your own time - comment

After October 7, Israel needs a stable government for several years. A broad Zionist coalition should agree on the work and get it done.

OCTOBER 26, 2026ByZVIKA KLEIN
Election campaign billboards featuring Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot and Likud party chairman and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alongside opposition leaders are displayed along a roadside in the northern Israeli city of Haifa, ahead of Israel’s upcoming general elections.