Israel election 2026: ‘We want a change’ – can Netanyahu defy voters’ anger?

Jerusalem (Israel): “We want a change.” That is the message from several Israeli residents ahead of legislative elections scheduled to be held on Tuesday (October 27). They described years of war, loss and uncertainty and called for peace, political change and national unity.

Speaking to ANI, first-time voter Nave said that wars had affected young people and called on the government to reach agreements with other countries and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

“My expectation from the government is that after three years of war, we need to get some agreements with the other countries and with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and we need to get some peace and quiet because these three years of war have affected us very much as young people and as first-time voters,” he said.

He stated that most of his friends wanted a change in government, although some members of his family still supported incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Most of my friends think we need a change in government. Some members of my family still support Netanyahu, but most of my friends around my age want change,” he said.

Gideon Ros also called for a change in government, saying that repeated violence had made it difficult for people to live peacefully.

“I don’t like what is happening in Israel. There is constant war and killing on both sides, and we need some time to live in peace. Life here in Israel is good, but what is happening around us is not,” he said.

Ido said the past few years had been difficult for him and his friends. The deaths of people they knew had affected their everyday lives.

“It changed everyone’s outlook and their lives. I have a couple of friends who died, and all my friends know people who have died. You can feel the impact in everyday life,” he said.

He described the election as important to his generation and expressed hope for a better future.

“We have been through a very difficult couple of years, and my friends and I are hoping for a change. I really hope things will get better. This election is very important to us. We are excited, and we really want to see a change,” Ido said.

Sharda called for national unity regardless of the result and said women should have a greater role in political decisions.

“No matter what the election result is, we must stand together as one. Our unity is Israel’s strength,” she said.

On women's participation in politics, she said women needed a greater role in decision-making. She emphasised that this was an issue in many countries, not just Israel.

Trump backs Netanyahu

Calls for change have come to fore as Netanyahu campaigns on security and his close relationship with US President Donald Trump, who has endorsed Netanyahu for a second time and urged Israelis to vote for the incumbent prime minister.

“When you go to the Polls, please remember that Bibi has been an outstanding Warrior Prime Minister!” he wrote and referred to chants of “Death to America, Death to Israel”. He appealed voters to support the incumbent prime minister, adding, “we have to finish the job that we started”.

Netanyahu has also warned of alleged threat posed by Iran’s nuclear programme. On Sunday (October 25), he shared an AI-generated image depicting a nuclear explosion in Tel Aviv and warned that voting for another candidate could expose the country to the danger of a “second Holocaust”.

The post quoted right-wing activist Yuval Blumberg, who described a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat. It argued that Netanyahu’s relationship with Trump offered a limited window to act against Tehran.

The prime minister’s main rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, played down Trump’s endorsement, saying the US president would work with any leader chosen by Israeli voters.

“Donald Trump is a true friend of Israel. I appreciate his actions and commitment to Israel's security, and I am convinced that he will work in full cooperation with any leader chosen by the people,” he said.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has also said that the decision on who will be asked to form the next government would be his own. Speaking to American cable news network MS NOW, he said that neither Trump nor anyone else could intervene in his discretion, although he expected pressure.

Liberman seeks probe over Iran strike plans

The Iran issue has become a point of dispute after local media reported a confrontation between Netanyahu and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir over possible military action against Tehran.

Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Liberman has asked Israel’s attorney general to open a criminal investigation against Netanyahu, accusing him of pressuring security officials to take steps that could lead to a miscalculation with Iran before the election.

“The attempt to drag the State of Israel into war on the eve of elections, together with the willingness to sacrifice IDF soldiers solely due to fear of losing the elections, constitutes treason against the state, its security and the IDF soldiers,” he said on X.

Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Zamir had resisted a proposed operation and sought further deliberations and written legal authorisation from Netanyahu. The report cited anonymous sources but did not specify the proposed action. 

Netanyahu dismissed the allegations as “nonsense”, according to The Times of Israel.

Defence Minister Israel Katz also rejected reports of a rift between Netanyahu and Zamir, calling them “completely baseless and false”.

“I state unequivocally that Israel had no intention of initiating an attack on Iran before the elections in Israel, while making clear that if Iran attacks Israel, we will respond with great force,” he said.

Eisenkot criticised the prime minister over the alleged dispute, saying national security should not be used for political purposes. He expressed confidence in Zamir and other military commanders and warned against putting political interests above the country's security.

No clear majority 

The election is being contested by Netanyahu’s Likud-led coalition, which includes Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power party. Eisenkot has presented himself as a political alternative with a strong emphasis on security. 

Other contenders include an alliance led by former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, Liberman’s party and a four-party coalition headed by Yair Golan, which has substantial representation from Israel’s Arab minority.

According to The Jerusalem Post, four election surveys that closed on October 23 showed Eisenkot’s Yashar party leading Likud. Neither of the two main political blocs had enough projected seats to secure a majority in the 120-member Knesset.

Israel uses a party-list proportional representation system. Voters choose lists of candidates, and seats are allocated according to each list’s share of the vote. Parties must receive at least 3.25% of valid votes to qualify for seats.

After the election, President Herzog will ask a member of the Knesset to form a government. The proposed government must then win a vote of confidence in parliament. All Israeli governments formed to date have been coalition governments.

(With ANI inputs)