Product
More
Legal
© 2026Daily24.All rights reserved.
October 27, 2026
Early Israel election turnout highest in decadesVoter turnout in the first three hours of the Israeli general election was the highest in decades, Israel's Central Elections Committee said on Tuesday.
According to the committee, nationwide turnout by mid-morning was already at 16.68%, the highest at this stage of the vote since 1981 and up from 15.9% at the same time in the 2022 election.
"By 10 a.m., more than 1,200,000 Israelis had voted," said the committee's acting director general, Dean Livne.
Total voter turnout in Israeli general elections approached 80% the 1990s but hasn't been higher than 72.3% since the turn of the century. Turnout at the last general election in 2022 was 70.6%.
Turnout among Arab Israelis is expected to be particularly important given the role Arab parties could play as potential kingmakers in coalition talks.
"Our vote will change the government," predicted Mansour Abbas, head of the Islamist Ra'am party as he cast his vote, adding that he hoped turnout would surpass 70% in Arab communities.
Arabs in Israel make up about 18% of the electorate, and pre-election surveys have suggested a sharp increase in voter participation.
Data from the Midgam Research Institute cited by the Qatar-owned The New Arab indicates that turnout within the Arab community could rise to between 62% and 63%, up from approximately 53% in previous elections. The National, based in the United Arab Emirates, said its sources were predicting an "astronomical" Arab turnout.
How do young Palestinians remember the Nakba?To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Skip next section How does Israel's election work?October 27, 2026
How does Israel's election work?7.3 million people are eligible to cast ballots to elect the 120-member KnessetImage: Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency/IMAGOWho is eligible to vote?Around 7.3 million Israelis (including around 1.2 million Palestinian citizens of Israel) are eligible to vote on Tuesday.
More than 640,000 young Israelis will be eligible to vote in a general election for the first time.
Around 3.1 million Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in the West Bank do not have the right to vote in Israeli elections, but 500,000 illegal settlers in those territories do.
A further 350,000 Palestinians live in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem and also cannot vote, whereas around 230,000 Israelis living there can.
The US-based non-profit America-Israel Democracy Coalition (AID Coalition) has organized a "Fly&Vote" initiative, with as many as 67,000 voters returning to Israel to participate in the election, based on surveys of expatriates and registration data.
The coalition said half are coming from the US, with others from Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Israel does not have postal voting.
How does the voting system work?Israel is a parliamentary democracy and voters elect a legislature rather than choosing their prime minister directly. Voters choose a party "list."
Israel uses a proportional representation system under which 120 parliamentary seats are distributed roughly in proportion to a party's share of the vote.
To enter parliament (known as the Knesset), parties must receive at least 3.25% of valid votes, which is equivalent to roughly four seats.
The party which can command a majority of at least 61 seats is called upon to form a government. No single party has ever won an outright majority, so Israel has always been governed by coalitions. Polls suggest this year will be no different.
Unlike many other democracies around the world, Israel is not divided up into geographic electoral districts.
Rather than electing individual lawmakers to represent local areas, voters in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa all choose from the same party lists in one, single, nationwide constituency.
When polling stations close at 10 p.m. local time (9 p.m. CET), broadcasters will publish their first exit polls, offering an initial indication of the results. Official results are scheduled to be published on November 4.
Youth vote could play crucial role in Israel electionTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Skip next section Arab-Israeli parties: Potential kingmakers in Israel's future ruling coalition?October 27, 2026
Arab-Israeli parties: Potential kingmakers in Israel's future ruling coalition?Netanyahu's Likud and Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudi parties attempted last month to ban the Joint List and Ra'am from running in the race, but Israel's Supreme Court reversed the parties' disqualification earlier in OctoberImage: Debbie Hill/UPI Photo/Newscom/picture allianceWhile the main competition for the largest number of seats is between Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud and Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar, the Arab parties are projected to play a key role in determining Israel's next ruling coalition.
For a party or coalition to rule, it needs to secure 61 seats in the Knesset.
As per a recent Channel 12 poll, Eisenkot's bloc is hovering around 55 seats, while Netanyahu's bloc is trailing behind with some 51 seats. This means that either bloc would need to form coalitions in order to rule, should the election results come out similar to the polls.
The most likely parties to tip the scales are the Joint List (projected to win around 9 seats) and the Ra'am (projected to win around 5 seats). The Arab minority, who are Palestinian by heritage but Israeli by nationality, make up around a fifth of Israel's eligible voters. Polls suggest a higher turnout rate for the Arab voters than seen in previous elections.
Netanyahu's Likud and Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudi parties attempted last month to ban the Joint List and Ra'am from running in the race, but Israel's Supreme Court reversed the parties' disqualification earlier in October.
Both Eisenkot and Netanyahu have ruled out an alliance with the Arab parties. But analysts suggest such stances are not set in stone and can shift amid coalition talks, a move Netanyahu himself has resorted to in the past.
Skip next section Gadi Eisenkot: Who is Netanyahu's main opponent?October 27, 2026
Gadi Eisenkot: Who is Netanyahu's main opponent?The Israeli general election is considered by many to be a verdict on the country's longest-serving prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
But who is the opposition, and what do they stand for?
The main opposition force is a so-called "change bloc," a mixed group of center-right and some left-wing parties led by the newly formed Yashar (honesty) party and its leader Gadi Eisenkot.
A relative political newcomer, Eisenkot is the son of Moroccan immigrants who rose to become the chief of the staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) between 2015 and 2019.
Eisenkot has positioned himself squarely in opposition to Netanyahu in terms of his personality — an unpolished man of the people in contrast to the highly stylized and controlling prime minister.
Campaigning on accountability, political reform, and national unity, Eisenkot has sharply criticized Netanyahu's leadership before and after the October 7 Hamas attacks.
But his politics don't differ massively and, although he has emphasized equal rights for all Israeli citizens, he has been ambiguous on the idea of a two-state solution since October 7.
While backing Israel's military operations, he argues the government lacks a clear strategy and has called for an independent inquiry into the failures surrounding the attacks. His military record and the death of his son in the Gaza war have strengthened his standing among many voters
The parties in Eisenkot's bloc all have ideological differences but are united by their goal of removing Netanyahu from power.
Israel elections: Who is Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu's challenger?To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Skip next section Polls open in Israel electionPublished October 27, 2026last updated October 27, 2026
Polls open in Israel electionVoters choose a national political party list for the 120 seats in the parliamentImage: Ammar Awad/REUTERSVoting began in Israel at 7 a.m. local time (6 a.m. CET) on Tuesday in the first general election since the deadly Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, and the devastating war in Gaza unleashed by Israel in response.
Some 7.3 million Israeli citizens are eligible to vote, with polls showing a bloc led by right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the country's longest-serving premier, neck and neck with Gadi Eisenkot's centrist opposition alliance.
Most polling stations will close at 10 p.m. local time (8 p.m. UTC).
Skip next section WATCH: Netanyahu's final campaign? — Israel heads to the pollsOctober 27, 2026
WATCH: Netanyahu's final campaign? — Israel heads to the pollsEmily Gordine
There's a lot at stake in this election: The fallout and questions of political accountability for the attacks of October 7, 2023; mandatory military service for ultra-Orthodox men and sharing the burden of national defense; along with Israel's standing in the international community.
Nowhere can the division within Israeli society be more felt than in debate over Benjamin Netanyahu.
For the past four years, Israel's long-standing prime minister has led what has been described as the most right-wing government in the country's history. He broke with political convention by forming an alliance with ultranationalist politician Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Many Israelis want to see an end to this government. They blame it for the failures surrounding Hamas' terror attack and for the country's growing isolation internationally. Many are placing their hopes in Gadi Eisenkot, who has emerged as a leading opposition figure to challenge Netanyahu.
Netanyahu's final campaign? — Israel heads to the pollsTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Skip next section Security fears and domestic divides define Israel's election battleOctober 27, 2026
Security fears and domestic divides define Israel's election battleIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his top challenger Gadi Eisenkot are both against the creation of an independent Palestinian state, meaning the election is not expected to lead to major policy changes that could revive the long-stalled peace process.
Here are some of the other major campaign issues:
October 27, 2026
Welcome to our coverageIsraelis head to the polls today to elect a new Knesset in what is expected to be a tightly contested race.
Incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu, the country's longest-serving prime minister, is fighting to stay in power, with several court cases awaiting him if he loses office.
Polls suggest his opponent, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, is in the lead.
Stay tuned as we closely follow the election, its results and the wider implications for the region.
Show more posts