Politics

Joint List's Tibi says his party will not join coalition, Eisenkot sets coalition principles

Mossad to provide Shin Bet with assessment of suspected foreign interference in elections • Likud MKs deny that they Yashar members asking them to defect • Liberman denies speakership reports

|ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot alongside members of his party at the party’s election headquarters in Tel Aviv, following the closing of polling stations and the release of exit poll results on Israel’s general election night, October 28, 2026.
A woman passes by a banner depicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump day after the country held a national election, in Jerusalem, October 28, 2026

Victors and vanquished alike: Israel cannot afford another war among itself - opinion

The government belongs to those elected to lead it. The country belongs to all of us. I believe Rabbi Sacks would have recognized this as the essence of covenant.

|ByJONATHAN LIEBERMAN
MK Ahmad Tibi attends Hadash–Ta'al faction meeting, at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on June 29, 2026.

Joint List's Tibi says his party will not join coalition, supports replacing Knesset speaker

On Sunday, Tibi announced a plan to support an alternative government from outside the coalition in exchange for commitments to address the needs of Arab society.

|ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot alongside members of his party at the party’s election headquarters in Tel Aviv, following the closing of polling stations and the release of exit poll results on Israel’s general election night, October 28, 2026.

Eisenkot lays out four coalition principles, says 'any MK' who accepts them can join government

Eisenkot said on Saturday that any MK willing to endorse his four principles could join a broad Zionist government, as he seeks to translate the October 27 election results into a new coalition.

|ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Arab parties Ra'am, Joint List rise to 19 seats amid high turnout, election polling data shows

The projections would give the two parties combined either 18 or 19 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with their five seats each in the outgoing parliament.

OCTOBER 27, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Joint List party chairman Yousef Jabareen and supporters gather at the party’s election headquarters in the northern Israeli city of Nazareth, following the closing of polling stations on Israel’s general election night, October 27, 2026.

Yair Golan's Democrats set to win eight Knesset seats in 2026 Israeli election

Israeli election exit polls project eight seats for Yair Golan's Democrats, potentially more than doubling the party's parliamentary representation as coalition negotiations loom.

OCTOBER 27, 2026ByALEX CARSON
Democrats party chairman Yair Golan and members of his party celebrate at the party’s election headquarters in Tel Aviv, following the release of exit poll results on Israel’s general election night, October 27, 2026.

Ben-Gvir, Smotrich's parties set to win combined 13 seats in 2026 Israeli election

Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party added former Likud MK Gotliv to its slate, while RZP ran in a technical bloc with Zehut, led by Moshe Feiglin, in an effort to help clear the electoral threshold.

OCTOBER 27, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Otzma Yehudit party chairman and Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, alongside members of his party, at the party’s election headquarters in Modiin, on Israel’s general election night, October 28, 2026.

Haredi parties Shas, UTJ set to win 14 combined seats in 2026 Israeli election

Neither party has committed to joining only a Netanyahu-led coalition, and Shas’s spiritual leader has indicated that he would be open to joining a government led by Eisenkot.

OCTOBER 27, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
United Torah Judaism party head MK Yaakov Asher alongside members of his party at the party’s election headquarters in the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak, October 28, 2026

People of Israel, Reservists-Economic, Haredi Public fall short of threshold in Israeli election

The 3.25% threshold is the minimum percentage of the national vote a party needs to win to be allocated any seats in the next Knesset.

OCTOBER 27, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF, AVI SOLOMON
(L-R) Yoaz Hendel, Ofer Winter, and Moti Leitner

JPost’s Election Day LIVE: Watch exit polls, analyses, and election updates across Israel

Watch the live broadcast for the latest projections, reactions, and what the results could mean for the next government.

OCTOBER 27, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
JPost’s Election Day LIVE: Watch exit polls, analyses, and election updates across Israel.

Ra'am, Israeli civil rights watchdog receive reports of voter obstruction in Arab sector

ACRI warned that without immediate intervention, the delays could prevent large numbers of Arab voters from exercising their right to vote.

OCTOBER 27, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
People stand in a queue to vote during the national election, at a polling station in the Arab village of Taibe, northern Israel, October 27, 2026

Election Night: Netanyahu's bloc overtakes opposition, but both fall short of majority

Eisenkot declares victory as opposition bloc leads Netanyahu's, but neither have clear path to majority • Arab parties skyrocket as Netanyahu's right-wing partners fall

OCTOBER 27, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Billboard encouraging to cast their votes, in Tel Aviv during Election Day, October 27, 2026.

Election Day: A complete guide to Israel’s political parties and what they stand for

The Jerusalem Post has prepared a series of explainers breaking down the platforms, leaders, and main positions of the main parties running in the election.

OCTOBER 27, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Campaign posters featuring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot are seen in Tel Aviv, October 22, 2026

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.