Israel Schedules 2026 Knesset Election for October 27

Israel announced that a parliamentary election for the 24th Knesset will be held on October 27, 2026. It marks the first time since 1988 that the Knesset will complete its full term, and the first occasion a government led by Benjamin Netanyahu will serve the entire legislative period.

Political parties have begun preparing their candidate lists, with the deadline for submitting lists to the election committee set for September 8, 2026. New party "Bennett 2026," founded by former prime minister Naftali Bennett, is polling strongly. Bennett has formed an alliance with former prime minister Yair Lapid, called "Biahed" (Together), which will run a joint list headed by Bennett with Lapid in second place. The alliance opposes Netanyahu and seeks a formal inquiry into the events of October 7, 2023.

The election follows a July 17, 2026 Knesset vote to dissolve itself, prompted by ongoing challenges faced by the Netanyahu coalition, including the aftermath of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, the stalled war on Iran, and domestic opposition to the government's judicial reforms.