Israeli Elections Set for October; Netanyahu Overhauls Likud List to Counter Internal Challenges

The Knesset announced legislative elections for October 27, 2026, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu moved to restructure the Likud party list to improve electoral competitiveness.

• The Knesset announced that legislative elections will be held on October 27, 2026.
• Netanyahu warned senior Likud members that "this list will not bring us to power" and began reshaping the list through meetings and personal agreements.
• Netanyahu secured approval from Likud center head Haim Katz and reached understandings with David Bitan, who had opposed reducing primaries.
• He proposed a limited primary granting him eight guaranteed seats or a permanent committee to finalize the list, and initiated efforts to include former security officials Gaby Ashkenazi, Ron Dermer, and others.
• Netanyahu targeted loyalist MKs Tally Gootlieb, Dudi Amsalam, and others for exclusion, while MKs Yuli Edelstein and Dan Ilouz left the coalition over the conscription law.