Benjamin Netanyahu seeks broad coalition as Israeli election looms

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he will form a "wide national government" if his Likud party wins the upcoming Israeli legislative election, scheduled by Oct. 27. He emphasized that the coalition would not be limited to the right or left and would invite any party that accepts Israel’s identity as a Jewish state and individual rights.

Within Likud, Netanyahu faces a sharp internal fight over his plan to reserve ten personally selected spots on the party’s Knesset list, prompting senior members to oppose the proposal and threaten to block his slate. He has offered to fold women and youth slots into his reserved positions to ease dissent.

Polls show growing support for former chief‑of‑staff Gadi Eisenkot, who has positioned himself as a security‑focused rival, with his new Yashar party trailing Likud. The election will be the first since the Hamas Oct. 7 attack and ensuing wars in Gaza and Lebanon, adding pressure on Netanyahu’s leadership and shaping the political landscape for Israel’s future.