Israel Holds October 27 Elections As Netanyahu Faces Rivals Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid

Israel will hold general elections on October 27, with the Knesset set to end its current term on 17 July, parliament announced on Sunday.

“The Israeli Knesset announced on Sunday that legislative elections will be held on October 27 of this coming October, the latest date permitted by law, in a race widely viewed as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies since the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023”

Al-Jazeera Net

The vote is widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership since the Gaza war erupted in 2023, and Netanyahu has declared his intention to run again.

Al-Jazeera Net

Euronews said the Knesset’s schedule would allow the ruling coalition to complete a full four-year term for the first time in decades, with no intention of shortening the legislature’s tenure.

The New Region listed veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main rivals, including Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid, and Avigdor Lieberman, as Israel prepares for the October 27 contest.

Al-Jazeera Net said the Knesset announced the October 27 election as the latest date permitted by law, with the current term ending on July 17 and Netanyahu, 76, announcing his intention to run.

The New Region said Gadi Eisenkot, 66, has drawn public sympathy after the death in combat of his son Gal and two of his nephews during the Gaza war, and it noted he resigned from Netanyahu's war cabinet between October 2023 and June 2024.

Al-Jazeera Net added that Eisenkot served as military secretary to former prime ministers Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon before entering politics in 2022 alongside Benny Gantz, and it said he founded his own party 'Yeshar' or 'Straight' in 2025.

Association France Palestine Solidarité

Naftali Bennett, 54, was described by The New Region as a nationalist right figure who returned to the forefront following Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, and it said he opposed the creation of a Palestinian state.

The New Region said Bennett forged an alliance with his former running mate and current opposition leader Yair Lapid to secure as many votes as possible, while Al-Jazeera Net described Lapid, 62, as a journalist turned politician who founded the party 'There Is a Future' (Yesh Atid) in 2012.

Euronews said recent polls have shown a majority of Israelis want Netanyahu out of office, with former military chief Gadi Eisenkot emerging as his main contender.

Euronews said Netanyahu’s government has been racing to pass a series of bills to boost his alliance and enter the election from a position of strength, while it framed the vote as a referendum on his leadership since the Gaza war erupted in 2023.

The New Region reported that Eisenkot has kept his positions on the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict vague and has been a scathing critic of Netanyahu's wartime leadership, while it described Yair Lapid as a leading voice of the anti-Netanyahu camp.

Al-Jazeera Net said the election is widely viewed as a referendum on Netanyahu's policies since the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, and it noted Netanyahu last month said he intends 'to form a broad national government, not a right-wing government, nor a left-wing government dependent on Arab parties.'

News Mobile said voters are likely to assess Netanyahu’s leadership over the October 7, 2023 security failures, the wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, strained ties with the US, corruption allegations, judicial reforms and the debate over military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews.

The New Region also said Eisenkot was a member of Netanyahu's war cabinet between October 2023 and June 2024 when he resigned, underscoring how the Gaza war and its aftermath sit at the center of the October 27 political test.