Israelis vote in Knesset election as Eisenkot challenges Netanyahu's long rule

Israelis began voting on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, in a general election for the Knesset, the country's parliament, that could decide whether Benjamin Netanyahu stays in power. Polling stations opened at 7 am local time for 7,331,981 eligible voters, and exit polls are due when voting closes at 10 pm, which is after midnight in India. The main contest is between Netanyahu's right-wing Likud and Yashar, a new centrist party led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israeli military. Opinion polls before the vote disagreed on who is ahead, and neither bloc was shown winning the 61 seats needed for a majority on its own.

This election is seen as a vote on Netanyahu's leadership after the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, and the war in Gaza that followed. Eisenkot has built his campaign around that day, appealing to voters who blame the government for the security failure. Netanyahu has presented himself as the strong leader Israel needs at a time of conflict with Iran and its allies. The choice voters make will shape Israel's approach to Gaza, to Iran and to its relations with Arab states and the United States.

The result may not be clear on election night alone. Voters choose parties rather than individual candidates, and because no party is expected to win 61 seats by itself, the next prime minister will be the leader who can assemble a coalition of at least 61 members. That can take weeks of bargaining with smaller parties, including religious, nationalist and Arab parties, and the smaller parties often decide who governs.

Turnout among Arab citizens could be decisive. If it rises sharply from 2022, as pollsters expect, it could deny the right-wing bloc a majority even if Likud runs close to Yashar.

For India, the result matters because Israel's policy on Iran and Gaza affects the stability of West Asia, including the Strait of Hormuz, through which oil and shipping that India depends on pass. Netanyahu has also courted closer ties, recently inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to an Israeli state ceremony.

Short-term: Exit polls will give the first indication after voting ends, but official results and seat counts will take longer, and coalition talks will follow.

Long-term: If Netanyahu loses power, Israel's next government could change course on the Gaza war, the response to Iran and its domestic legal and religious disputes. If he wins, he is likely to continue his current security policy.

Who is affected: Israeli citizens, Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, neighbouring states, the United States, and countries such as India with security, trade and energy interests in the region.

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