JERUSALEM — Israel’s national election is set to take place on October 27, the country’s ruling coalition confirmed Sunday, marking the first time voters will head to the polls since Hamas carried out its devastating 2023 attack and the military conflicts that followed in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.
There had been some uncertainty about the exact election date after the Israeli parliament voted in May to dissolve itself, which opened the door to the possibility of an earlier vote. But coalition head Ofir Katz put that speculation to rest, telling a parliamentary committee Sunday that the election would proceed on the October 27 date already established under Israeli law.
A string of opinion polls indicates that Netanyahu’s coalition — made up of nationalist and religious parties — is likely to lose the upcoming vote. Even so, his political opponents have yet to establish a clear route to forming a government, and the political situation could still change before ballots are cast.
Netanyahu made a political comeback in 2022, leading what was described as Israel’s most right-wing government in the country’s history. But his reputation on national security took a serious blow when Hamas launched its surprise assault on October 7, 2023. More recent polling shows widespread public dissatisfaction with Netanyahu over the outcome of the conflict with Iran.
Completing a full four-year term is uncommon in Israeli politics. Netanyahu holds the distinction of being the country’s longest-serving leader and has repeatedly demonstrated a remarkable ability to survive political setbacks.
