Israel Elections 2026: Who Are Benjamin Netanyahu's Main Opponents? Meet All Major Candidates
\n\nIsraeli voters will head to the polls next Tuesday (October 27) to decide whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gets another term or the country moves towards a new political era. The election comes three years after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel triggered the war in Gaza.
\n\nPolling points to a close contest between Netanyahu, who leads the nationalist Likud party, and his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, head of the centrist Yashar! party. Former prime minister Naftali Bennett, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Arab politician Mansour Abbas are also among the key figures in the race.
\n\nIsrael's political system makes coalition-building central to forming a government. Voters elect parties to the 120-member Knesset, or parliament, and those parties must join forces to secure a majority. No single party has ever won an outright majority.
\n\nAt 77, Netanyahu remains one of the most dominant figures in Israeli politics. As the longtime leader of Likud, he has weathered wars, political crises and scandals throughout his career. His supporters point to his record on security and the economy, along with his close relationship with US President…
Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/latest-news
