On 27 October, 2026 Israeli voters will go to the polls to elect the 120 members of the Knesset. This is the first election to be held since the attacks of
7 October, 2023, imposing security as the major theme facing the open fronts. with security emerging as the dominant issue against the backdrop of various ongoing conflicts. Whilst no single party list can secure an absolute majority of 61 seats on its own, the campaign is characterized by major identity divisions, Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal future and strategic approaches to the Palestinian issue.
This briefing note explains how the elections are conducted and maps out the realignment of political forces in the run-up to the vote.
