2026 Elections

Haredi shakeup: Gafni, Maklev reportedly ousted from slate

Degel HaTorah party sources say rabbis have decided to replace veteran MKs Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev, potentially ending Gafni’s 38-year Knesset career.

Gilad Erdan:

Unity Party pulls out of upcoming elections

Gilad Erdan announces that the Unity Party he founded will not compete in the upcoming elections, acknowledging that the party is unlikely to clear the electoral threshold.

Unity Party officials: Blue and White refused to pursue unity

Officials in Gilad Erdan's 'Ha'achdut' party accuse Blue and White of seeking media attention rather than genuine unity.

Poll boost for Netanyahu: Coalition climbs to 51 seats

Netanyahu bloc reaches its strongest showing since May as the Zionist opposition falls to 57 seats; Ofer Winter crosses the threshold with four.

Wave of departures continues

Karine Elharrar will not seek reelection

Another prominent departure: Former minister Karine Elharrar announces that she will not seek a Knesset seat with Yesh Atid in the next election.

Gafni: Finance officials threatened to freeze yeshiva funds

Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni claims Finance Ministry officials threatened yeshiva funding if he continued backing regional councils and Israeli agriculture.

Poll shock:

Right-wing bloc rises to 63 seats, Winter crashes below threshold

New survey shows Likud holds commanding lead with 31 seats as 'Together' gains ground and Ofer Winter’s 'Amcha Yisrael' falls to just 2.7%.

Gotliv to leave Likud for Ben-Gvir

Likud and Tally Gotliv reach agreement allowing her to run with Otzma Yehudit while requiring her to vote with Likud until the next Knesset is sworn in.

Feiglin on Smotrich alliance:

‘After the election, we each go our own way’

Moshe Feiglin says he has forgiven past tensions with Bezalel Smotrich, but stresses their election alliance is temporary, and the parties will later split.

Ehud Barak proposes: social media shutdown before elections

Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak sparks controversy with proposal to block major channels, platforms, in final days before Israel's elections.

Winter's condition for Netanyahu

Ofer Winter makes clear that his party will recommend Netanyahu for prime minister, but sets a condition for joining the government.

Rabbi Dov Lando signals:

Degel Hatorah is not bound to Netanyahu

Rabbi Dov Lando says the haredi Torah world faces growing persecution and stresses that Degel Hatorah does not depend on any prime minister.

Likud moves to dismantle Ofer Winter’s new party

'Amcha Yisrael' head Ofer Winter rejects proposal offering him second place on a Smotrich-Feiglin slate and spots for his allies in Likud: ‘Israel demands something new.’

Winter to supporters:

'Don’t be swayed by the pressure, we are the right'

At a rally for his new party, Ofer Winter tells activists, “Don’t be swayed by the pressure. We represent the true voice of the Israeli people and will sit with Netanyahu."

Rabbi Aviner responds to question on Ofer Winter's party

Rabbi Shlomo Aviner rejects the idea of voting for Ofer Winter’s party, over Yoseph Haddad’s No. 2 placement.

Merger moves forward

Smotrich and Feiglin to sign agreement tonight

Religious Zionism party chairman Bezalel Smotrich and Zehut chairman Moshe Feiglin are expected to sign their merger agreement tonight.

On her way out of Likud?

Tally Gotliv: I will consider joining another party

Amid reports of talks on leaving Likud, MK Tally Gotliv accuses the Prime Minister's inner circle of trying to undermine her in the party primaries.

Senior Yesh Atid figure steps down

Mickey Levy won't run in next election

Former Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy announces he will not run on the joint Together slate of Naftali Bennett and Yesh Atid in the next election.

Poll: Smotrich-Feiglin alliance wins 5 seats

According to the poll, without a merger between the parties, Religious Zionism remains below the electoral threshold, while Ofer Winter’s party enters the Knesset in its place.

Security increased for Elections Committee Chairman Noam Sohlberg

Police have decided to increase security around Supreme Court Justice and Central Elections Committee Chairman Noam Sohlberg following a situation assessment and intelligence that was received.

Yesh Atid shakeup: Meir Cohen bows out of Knesset race

Lapid’s longtime political partner gives up his spot for the party’s 'next generation' but says he isn’t leaving Yesh Atid.

Likud primary fraud claims

After recount, Gamliel drops to 35th place

Two weeks after the Likud primary and amid fraud allegations, the party releases final results, placing Eti Atiya 25th and Gila Gamliel 35th.

Winter responds to Netanyahu:

'This is what endangers the right-wing bloc'

Amcha Yisrael chairman Ofer Winter responds to the Prime Minister’s claim that his party poses a “danger" to the right: “We are part of the right-wing camp, but we work for no one."

Advisory Committee rules:

Eisenkot to receive security through Election Day

Advisory committee recommends protection for Gadi Eisenkot until election day after new findings, reversing a decision that sparked controversy.

Of(f)er rejected

Netanyahu's secret meeting with Winter

Report says Ofer Winter rejected Netanyahu’s offer of reserved Likud slots before launching his own party; despite backing Netanyahu, Likud remains wary.

Poll:

Winter weakens Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir

Kan News poll gives Ofir Winter’s new party four seats, while Netanyahu edges Bennett for premiership and neither political bloc reaches 61.

American Jews favor opposition in Israel's upcoming elections

JPPI Voice of the Jewish People Index finds 54% prefer the current opposition, while 14% prefer the current coalition; 78% follow election news closely.

Yair Netanyahu launches scathing attack on Ben Gvir

Yair Netanyahu sharply criticizes National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, claiming: “The police have definitively become Kaplan’s enforcement arm."

Likud warns: ‘Ramallah wants Netanyahu to lose’

New report says Palestinian Authority officials pushed Arab parties to unite against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Likud hits back.

Closer to a deal?

Gantz and Erdan hold another meeting

Gilad Erdan and Benny Gantz meet at Gantz’s home and agree to continue talks. Erdan stresses the need to first establish common principles, while Gantz presents his conditions for the alliance.

Likud blasts Ben Gvir:

'Paving the way for a left-wing government'

Likud attacks Ben Gvir, claiming his refusal to unite with Smotrich could lead to lost right-wing votes and the formation of an Eisenkot-led government.

Smotrich-Feiglin alliance taking shape

Bezalel Smotrich and Moshe Feiglin are negotiating a joint election run that could give Feiglin the No. 2 spot as Religious Zionism battles the threshold.

Ra’am rallies Negev voters: ‘More votes, more influence’

Ra'am MK Mansour Abbas urges increased Arab turnout, pledging to fight home demolitions, push for recognition of illegal Bedouin villages.

Ben Gvir defies Netanyahu: No deal with Smotrich

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls for unity to save right-wing bloc, Otzma Yehudit declares decision to run separately 'final and absolute.'

Poll: Center-left bloc drops to 59 seats

New Maariv poll gives Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar! 25 seats, while Ofer Winter's Amcha Yisrael crosses the threshold.

Ofer Winter clarifies:

'We will recommend only Netanyahu'

Amcha Yisrael chairman Ofer Winter clarifies his position ahead of the election: “We are part of the right-wing camp. Its leader is Netanyahu, and he is the only one we will recommend."

Netanyahu calls on Ben Gvir and Smotrich to unite

Netanyahu calls on the leaders of Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism to overcome the bad blood between them and unite ahead of the elections.

Netanyahu brings Hadar Muchtar into Likud campaign

After rejecting request to run in primaries, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appoints Hadar Muchtar to lead Likud's youth campaign.

‘Pet Arab?’

Winter fires back at journalist over Yoseph Haddad

Ofer Winter says ‘shame on you’ after Raviv Drucker calls Yoseph Haddad a ‘pet Arab,’ while Haddad fires back at the journalist as a ‘petty racist.’

Shas shuts door on Eisenkot: 'There are bad people around him'

MK Yinon Azoulay pledges Shas will remain with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing bloc, rules out joining forces with Yashar! chairman Gadi Eisenkot.

Lazimi to Arab voters:

Help us 'kick out the fascists and racists'

Democrats MK Naama Lazimi calls for high Arab voter turnout and vows her partyqwill spearhead efforts toward a future agreement with the Palestinians.

'I won’t join your gov't'

Eisenkot rules out Winter as DM, draws sharp response

Eisenkot says Winter had not served in the IDF’s strategic command. Winter hits back, pointing to the “containment, de-escalation and appointments" policies.

After disappointing poll, Winter surges

An i24NEWS poll conducted by Direct Polls gives Likud 26 seats and Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar 23. Ofer Winter’s Amcha Yisrael wins eight seats.

New haredi party hit by rabbinical controversy

New haredi party unveils rabbinical committee - but one rabbi denies involvement

After 38 years together: Could United Torah Judaism split?

Degel HaTorah and Agudat Yisrael open coalition talks as disputes over top Knesset slots raise questions over whether longtime partners will run together.

Ben Gvir shuts door on Hadar Muchtar - she fires back

Otzma Yehudit leader says Muchtar won't join his Knesset slate; spokesperson hits back. 'Hadar Muchtar is in Likud and will remain in Likud.'

Poll bombshell:

Likud crashes to 19 seats, Winter fails to break through

Conflicting polls give Ofer Winter eight seats or leave him below the threshold, while Likud swings dramatically between 19 and 26 seats.

Who was listening?

Malware found on phones of senior Eisenkot staffers

Malware designed to listen and collect information was reportedly discovered on the phones of two senior staffers at Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar Party campaign.

Yair Golan in Arabic: Succot is a 'dangerous criminal'

Democrats chairman Yair Golan blames Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for MK Tzvi Succot's actions in Madama, accusing the government of endangering IDF soldiers to preserve its coalition.

Winter effect:

New Amacha Yisrael party wins six seats in first poll

First poll since Ofer Winter launched Amacha Yisrael gives his party six seats, while Religious Zionism falls below the threshold and Netanyahu's bloc drops to 49.

Hadash sets conditions for supporting Eisenkot bloc

Hadash chairman Yousef Jabareen is demanding clear guarantees on the development of Arab society and combating crime, along with a clear stance against “settlements".

Yair Netanyahu to Winter’s candidates: You’ll waste votes

The Prime Minister’s son personally addresses each candidate on Ofer Winter’s slate, warning that further fragmentation of the national camp could help the left-wing bloc.

Ofer Winter sets up new party:

'This is my dream team'

Brig. Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter launches 'Amcha Yisrael' party, with public diplomacy activist Yoseph Haddad at no. 2, alongside military and reserve personnel, media and legal figures, community and bereaved family members.

Poll:

Winter’s party sends right-wing bloc to new low

New poll examines a scenario in which Ofer Winter’s party runs independently. In that scenario, the Religious Zionist Party fails to cross the electoral threshold and the right-wing bloc falls to 49 seats.

Joint List calls for European oversight of elections

Yousef Jabareen, chairman of Hadash and the Joint List, outlines conditions for providing a parliamentary safety net to an alternative coalition that would bring down the right-wing government.

Elections Committee chairman:

Shas must remove video portraying religious soldier

Central orders Shas and Aryeh Deri to remove a video portraying a religious soldier. The decision followed a petition by Eisenkot’s party.

Jonathan Pollard enters political arena

Jonathan Pollard announces he is joining Israel First, led by MK Sharren Haskel, and will support the party in Israel’s upcoming elections.

Liberman outlines his path to victory

Liberman says the opposition must shift five to six seats away from the coalition, increase voter turnout and allow each party to maximize its electoral strength.

Yair Golan: Jewish-Arab partnership 'frightens them'

Democrats chairman Yair Golan defends party's 'massive campaign' targeting Arab voters, vowing Jews and Arabs will work together to replace government.

New poll: Eisenkot opens six-seat lead over Likud

Yashar! surges to 26 seats as Likud falls to 20, while the center-left bloc reaches 60 seats, just one short of a Knesset majority.