Israel election preparations intensify as Likud lawmaker joins Ben Gvir list

As Israel prepares for elections on October 27, 2026, political maneuvering is intensifying between major blocs. The Likud party has announced that lawmaker Tally Gotliv will run on Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit list. While Gotliv remains bound by Likud’s faction discipline until the election, the move is seen as a strategic shift in a landscape where polling shows the pro- and anti-Netanyahu blocs are nearly tied.

Recent surveys indicate a highly competitive race. One poll suggests the pro-Netanyahu bloc may hold approximately 50 seats, while the anti-Netanyahu bloc holds 55, leaving both short of the 61 seats required to form a government. Major contenders include Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party, which focuses on centrist governance and national security, as well as the Beyachad party led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid.

Forming a stable coalition remains a significant challenge, as neither major bloc can reach a majority without the support of Arab parties, a prospect that complicates negotiations with the Israeli far right.