{"id":1847,"date":"2026-07-13T13:24:34","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T13:24:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/2026\/07\/13\/israel-sets-october-27-election-widely-seen-as-referendum-on-netanyahus-leadership\/"},"modified":"2026-07-13T13:24:34","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T13:24:34","slug":"israel-sets-october-27-election-widely-seen-as-referendum-on-netanyahus-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=1847","title":{"rendered":"Israel sets October 27 election widely seen as referendum on Netanyahu&#8217;s leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-tms-ad-status=\"idle\" data-tms-ad-container class=\"o-ad-container o-ad-container--banner-top o-ad-container--with-shimmer o-ad-container--with-background\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__content o-ad-container__content--report-enabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__label m-block-ad__label--report-enabled\">\n                    <span class=\"o-ad-container__label__text\">Advertising<\/span><br \/>\n                                            <button title=\"Report this ad\" class=\"o-ad-container__content__report-link\" data-tms-ad-report><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-ad-sponsoring\" data-tms-ad-type=\"sponsoring\" data-tms-ad-status=\"disabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-sponsoring__wrapper\">\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content t-content--article\" id=\"main-content\">\n<div class=\"t-content__above-sidebar\">\n<h1 class=\"t-content__title a-page-title\">Israel sets October 27 election widely seen as referendum on Netanyahu&#8217;s leadership<\/h1>\n<div class=\"m-master-tag\">\n<div class=\"a-tag-section\">\n                                    Middle East\n                            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"t-content__chapo\">\n                                        Israel&#8217;s parliament on Sunday said it had set the country&#8217;s national elections for October 27, the latest date permitted by law, which will allow the ruling coalition to complete a full four-term. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the country&#8217;s longest-serving premier, announced that he &#8220;intends to win&#8221; despite polls showing that a majority of Israelis want him out of office over multiple corruption trials, controversial judicial reforms, and concerns over the ongoing wars in Gaza and Iran.\u00a0                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__with-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"t-content__beside-sidebar\" data-article-content>\n<div class=\"t-content__metadata\">\n<div class=\"t-content__dates\">\n<p class=\"m-pub-dates\"><span class=\"m-pub-dates__date\">Issued on: <time datetime=\"2026-07-13T02:19:14+00:00\">13\/07\/2026 &#8211; 04:19<\/time><\/span><span class=\"m-pub-dates__date\">Modified: <time datetime=\"2026-07-13T07:49:25+00:00\">13\/07\/2026 &#8211; 09:49<\/time><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"a-reading-time\">\n    <span class=\"a-reading-time__icon\" title=\"Reading time\"><\/p>\n<p>    <\/span><br \/>\n    3 min    <span class=\"u-sr-only\">Reading time<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a-share-button\" data-root-share>\n<p>                            <span class=\"a-master-button__label\">Share<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__authors\">\n<div class=\"m-from-author\">\n                    <span class=\"m-from-author__by-label\"><br \/>\n                By:<br \/>\n            <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-author\">\n<div class=\"m-author__name\">\n                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/author\/france-24\/\" title=\"FRANCE 24\" class=\"m-author__name__title\"><br \/>\n                                FRANCE 24<br \/>\n                            <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__main-media\">\n<figure class=\"m-item-image m-item-image--16x9 m-item-image--has-caption\">\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"auto\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/1de28e3c-7e14-11f1-93fc-005056a90284\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/4f2aaa9378844bf340bfa3f2bf45a124d1099c11.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/1de28e3c-7e14-11f1-93fc-005056a90284\/w:388\/p:16x9\/4f2aaa9378844bf340bfa3f2bf45a124d1099c11.jpg 388w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/1de28e3c-7e14-11f1-93fc-005056a90284\/w:720\/p:16x9\/4f2aaa9378844bf340bfa3f2bf45a124d1099c11.jpg 720w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/1de28e3c-7e14-11f1-93fc-005056a90284\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/4f2aaa9378844bf340bfa3f2bf45a124d1099c11.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1076px) 100vw, 1012px\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" alt=\"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is battling for re-election\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"a-img \"><figcaption class=\"a-figcaption\">\n                Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is battling for re-election.        \u00a9 Ilia Yefimovich, AFP    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__body u-clearfix\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/israel\/\" target=\"_self\">Israel<\/a>\u00a0will hold national\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/elections\/\" target=\"_self\">elections<\/a>\u00a0on October 27, the last date allowed by law, its parliament said on Sunday, with the vote widely seen as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/referendum\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">referendum<\/a> on Prime Minister <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/benjamin-netanyahu\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a>&#8216;s leadership since the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/war-in-gaza\/\" target=\"_self\">Gaza war<\/a> erupted.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/knesset\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Knesset<\/a>, as parliament is known, is set to end its current term on July 17, allowing the ruling coalition to complete a full four-year term for the first time in decades.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Since the current Knesset is expected to serve its full term and the next general election is already set by law for October 27, with no intention of shortening the legislature&#8217;s tenure, there is no need to enact a Knesset Dissolution Law in the usual sense,&#8221; parliament said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Netanyahu, 76, is already the country&#8217;s longest-serving prime minister, having served multiple, non-consecutive terms, and has declared his intention to run again.<\/p>\n<p class=\"a-read-more\"><span class=\"a-read-more__label\">Read more<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/middle-east\/20260610-netanyahu-will-stand-in-israel-s-next-national-election-his-party-says\" target=\"_self\" class=\"a-read-more__link\">Netanyahu will stand in Israel&#8217;s next national election, his party says<\/a><\/p>\n<p>He has said he &#8220;intends to win&#8221; the election, setting the stage for what could be the defining contest of his political life.<\/p>\n<p>In recent days, his government\u00a0\u2013 one of the most right-wing coalitions in\u00a0Israel&#8217;s history\u00a0\u2013 has been racing to pass a series of bills in a bid to shore up his alliance and enter the election from a position of strength.<\/p>\n<p>Last month, Netanyahu even said that he intended to &#8220;establish a broad national government, not a right-wing, not a left-wing government that depends on Arab parties, but a broad national government&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>By reaching across the aisle, Netanyahu appears to be trying to reframe his electoral pitch around national unity rather than ideological alignment.<\/p>\n<p>But recent polls show that a majority of Israelis want him out of office, with former military chief Gadi Eisenkot emerging as his main rival.<\/p>\n<h2>Key issues\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>A recent poll by the Hebrew University of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/jerusalem\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Jerusalem<\/a> found that more than 92 percent of Israelis believe Iran had won the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/middle-east\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Middle East<\/a> war, and support for Netanyahu&#8217;s premiership plummeted from 40.5 percent in early March to 29.4 percent in June.<\/p>\n<p>Public opinion turned critical of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/ceasefire\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">ceasefire<\/a> that halted the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tv-shows\/the-debate\/20260303-how-far-will-it-escalate-iran-draws-in-region-as-israel-us-expand-campaign\" target=\"_self\">war\u00a0Israel\u00a0and the US launched against Iran<\/a> in late February, which led to a deal between Tehran and Washington that many view as unfavourable to\u00a0Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Anger also lingers over the security failures surrounding the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/october-7-attacks\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">October 7 attacks<\/a>, which continues to weigh on Netanyahu&#8217;s standing.<\/p>\n<p>Voter sentiment is expected to be affected by a bitter dispute over whether <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/live-news\/20251129-ultra-orthodox-military-conscription-row-reignites-in-israel\" target=\"_self\">ultra-Orthodox Jewish men should serve<\/a> in the military.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"a-read-more\"><span class=\"a-read-more__label\">Read more<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/middle-east\/20260329-europe-warns-israel-death-penalty-expansion-bill\" target=\"_self\" class=\"a-read-more__link\">European nations say Israel\u2019s planned expansion of death penalty is a &#8216;grave step backwards&#8217;<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Netanyahu&#8217;s key allies had repeatedly threatened to topple the current government unless their constituents were exempted from the draft, while the Israeli military and much of the public argue that broad enlistment is necessary, after years of wars have left the armed forces stretched thin.<\/p>\n<p>The other flashpoints are judicial reforms that he initiated before the Gaza war erupted, his own ongoing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/corruption\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">corruption<\/a> trials and uncertainty over Gaza&#8217;s post-war governance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"a-read-more\"><span class=\"a-read-more__label\">Read more<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/live-news\/20251130-netanyahu-asks-israeli-president-to-grant-him-pardon-from-corruption-charges\" target=\"_self\" class=\"a-read-more__link\">Netanyahu seeks pardon from Israeli president in corruption case<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The wars against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/hezbollah\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Hezbollah<\/a> and Iran have created a politically complicated backdrop for Netanyahu.<\/p>\n<p>He said, however, that the government he envisaged forming after\u00a0elections\u00a0would help complete\u00a0Israel&#8217;s regional ambitions.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;After we have removed the Iranian existential threat, the broad national government can make peace within ourselves, deal with the remnants of the Iranian axis and reap the fruits of our victory in political agreements like the one we are making with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/lebanon\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Lebanon<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 and there are a few more on the way,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Netanyahu&#8217;s remarks suggest he intends to use\u00a0Israel&#8217;s military campaign against Iran and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah as the centrepiece of his election narrative, pivoting from a fragile ideological coalition to a broader, security-anchored governing mandate.<\/p>\n<p><em>(FRANCE 24 with AFP)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"o-sidebar__aside\">\n<div data-tms-ad-status=\"idle\" data-tms-ad-container class=\"o-ad-container o-ad-container--box o-ad-container--with-shimmer\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__content o-ad-container__content--report-enabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__label m-block-ad__label--report-enabled\">\n                    <span class=\"o-ad-container__label__text\">Advertising<\/span><br \/>\n                                            <button title=\"Report this ad\" class=\"o-ad-container__content__report-link\" data-tms-ad-report><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__tags t-content__below-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"m-section-title m-section-title--small\">Keywords for this article<\/div>\n<ul class=\"m-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/israel\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Israel\">    Israel<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/elections\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"elections\">    elections<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/benjamin-netanyahu\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Benjamin Netanyahu\">    Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/israeli-politics\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Israeli politics\">    Israeli politics<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/war-in-gaza\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"War in Gaza\">    War in Gaza<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Advertising Israel sets October 27 election widely seen as referendum on Netanyahu&#8217;s leadership Middle East&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1848,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1847"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1847\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}