Israel Election 2026: Polling, Results and Government Formation

Israelis vote for the 26th Knesset Live

Voting is under way. About 7.3 million Israelis are eligible to vote, and polls close at 10 p.m. Israel time, when exit polls are due on six television channels (Jewish Insider). The Central Elections Committee put turnout at 31.5% by noon, which reports called the highest at that hour in decades (Israel National News). Thirty-eight lists are on the ballot (Wikipedia summary).

This is the first general election since the Hamas-led attack of 7 October 2023. Voters choose party lists for the 120-seat Knesset, not a prime minister. No exit poll or result is included on this page yet.

Final polls: neither bloc reaches 61 Pre-election poll

The last three mainstream surveys all put Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar first, with 22 or 23 seats, ahead of Likud on 19 to 21. Channel 12 gave the change bloc 56 seats and the coalition 50; Channel 13 gave 54 and 50; Kan gave 52 and 50. Arab-led lists had 14 to 16, and Kan alone put Yoaz Hendel’s Reservists in the Knesset, with 4 (The Times of Israel; Ynet).

Ofer Winter’s Amcha Yisrael fell just under the 3.25% threshold in all three. These are pollsters’ estimates, with margins of error of 2.3 to 4.4 points, not results.

Supreme Court restores the Joint List Campaign

The Central Elections Committee barred the Joint List from running on 23 September 2026; the Supreme Court overturned that decision on 2 October, so the list is on the ballot. The Joint List has a surplus-vote agreement with Ra’am (Wikipedia summary).

Knesset dissolves; election set for 27 October Election process

The 25th Knesset voted in its final readings to dissolve itself, with no votes against, confirming 27 October as election day; the coalition had agreed the date on 12 July. Before the vote the coalition passed a law keeping compulsory military service for men at 32 months (JNS). Netanyahu’s coalition became the first Israeli government in decades to serve a full four-year term.

Dissolution bill passes a preliminary reading Election process

The Knesset backed a bill to dissolve itself in a preliminary reading by 110 votes to 0, after ultra-Orthodox parties withdrew support from Netanyahu over the stalled military-draft exemption law (Israel Hayom). A first reading in June left the date open, but elections had to be held by 27 October in any case.

Bennett and Lapid form ‘Together’ Campaign

Former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid announced a joint list, Together (B’Yachad), led by Bennett and including Lapid’s Yesh Atid (JNS; Israel Democracy Institute). Yesh Atid therefore does not run separately in 2026.

Gadi Eisenkot launches Yashar Campaign

Eisenkot, who had served in Benny Gantz’s party and resigned from the Knesset in June 2025, founded the centrist Yashar (“straight” or “upright”) (Jewish Virtual Library). By the final week of the campaign it led every mainstream poll.

Ultra-Orthodox parties quit over the draft law Campaign

Both United Torah Judaism factions resigned from the coalition over stalled conscription legislation, and Shas withdrew its ministers soon after (Wikipedia summary). A 2024 Supreme Court ruling had ended blanket exemptions for yeshiva students (European Parliament Research Service).

Gantz and Eisenkot leave the emergency government Campaign

Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, who had joined an emergency government and war cabinet after the 7 October attack, quit it in June 2024 (Wikipedia summary).

Hamas-led attack reshapes politics Campaign

The Hamas-led attack on southern Israel became the backdrop to the 2026 campaign. Opposition parties call for an independent state commission of inquiry; the government has favoured a panel it would appoint, with narrower powers (European Parliament Research Service).

Judicial overhaul announced Campaign

Justice Minister Yariv Levin unveiled plans to curb the Supreme Court’s powers, setting off mass protests through 2023 (European Parliament Research Service). Netanyahu’s corruption trial, which he denies, continued alongside.

Netanyahu returns with 64 seats Past election

Likud won 32 seats and formed a coalition of right-wing and religious parties with 64 of 120 seats, Israel’s fifth election in under four years (Wikipedia: 2022 election).

Knesset elects Isaac Herzog president Past election

The Knesset elected Isaac Herzog, a former Labour leader, as Israel’s 11th president for a single seven-year term (Wikipedia: 2021 presidential election).

Largest party, but out of power Past election

Likud finished first with 30 seats but could not form a government. Eight parties, including the Arab-led Ra’am, then formed a coalition led first by Naftali Bennett and, from July 2022, by Yair Lapid (Wikipedia: 2021 election).

A third election, then a unity deal Past election

Likud won 36 seats to Blue and White’s 33. After weeks of deadlock during the Covid-19 outbreak, Netanyahu and Benny Gantz formed a rotation government (Wikipedia: 2020 election).

Two elections, no government Past election

Likud and Blue and White tied on 35 seats in April. No government was formed, and in September Blue and White won 33 to Likud’s 32 (Wikipedia: April 2019 election).

Israel’s first direct vote for prime minister Past election

Voters cast separate ballots for prime minister and Knesset, and Netanyahu narrowly beat Shimon Peres. The split ballot weakened large parties and was abandoned after the 2001 vote (Wikipedia: 1996 election).

The first election Past election

Israel elected a 120-member Constituent Assembly, which became the First Knesset, using nationwide proportional representation (Wikipedia: 1949 election).