On 27 October 2026, Israel will hold its first parliamentary election since the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023. The election to the 26th Knesset is seen as a pivotal moment for the country and could result in a change of government. ELNET, a think tank and network organisation operating within the European-Israeli context, has published a concise overview of the key parties, political figures and possible post-election scenarios.
The deadline for submitting electoral lists for the Israeli parliamentary election passed on 8 September: 38 parties are standing in the election for the 26th Knesset on 27 October, with around a dozen of them having a realistic chance of entering parliament. The latest ELNET publication, ’, provides a concise overview of the Israeli electoral system, the main parties and political figures, and the key scenarios for the formation of a government.
The election is the first parliamentary election since the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023 and is likely to be a defining moment for Israel’s future direction. The election campaign centres on national security and addressing the failings surrounding October 7, as well as compulsory military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews and the future of Israel’s constitutional order.
It remains to be seen who will form the future government. Neither the camp led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor the heterogeneous opposition ‘Zionist Bloc’ centred on Gadi Eisenkot and his party, Yashar!, currently holds a clear majority. Protracted coalition negotiations and a renewed political stalemate therefore remain possible.
The outcome of the election is also relevant for Germany. German-Israeli cooperation, particularly in the fields of security, defence, technology and innovation, has now taken on strategic significance for the whole of Europe. At the same time, the Israel Survey 2025 shows that close cooperation with Israel in key areas such as science and defence continues to enjoy broad support in Germany, whilst German-Israeli relations as a whole are currently viewed positively by only a minority (Civey survey commissioned by ELNET, May 2026, only available in German).
This makes it all the more important to understand the political actors, lines of conflict and possible coalitions that could determine Israel’s course after 27 October.
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Source: ELNET Deutschland (in German)