Israel Set for October 27 Election as Netanyahu's Government Becomes First to Finish Full Term in Decades

Israel’s parliament has confirmed that national elections will be held October 27, marking the first time Israeli elections will occur on their originally scheduled date since 1988. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government, considered the most hardline in the country’s history, will become the first since 1973 to complete a full term.

Israel’s parliament confirmed Sunday that national elections will take place on October 27, the final date permitted under law. The vote is widely expected to serve as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership throughout the war.

Knesset Legal Adviser Sagit Afik delivered the announcement during a House Committee discussion, confirming that the current Knesset will run its full course and won’t be dissolved early. According to the Times of Israel, this will mark the first time Israeli elections have happened exactly as scheduled since 1988, and it means Netanyahu’s government will become the first in the country’s history since 1973 to serve out its entire term.

Israel’s parliament reinforced that point in its own statement, noting that because the current Knesset is expected to serve its full term and the election date is already locked in by law, there was no need to pass a formal Knesset Dissolution Law in the usual sense, AFP reported.

“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’s tenure, there is no need to enact a Knesset Dissolution Law in the usual sense,” the statement from the Knesset read.

Netanyahu’s government, formally Israel’s 37th, took shape on December 29, 2022, following the collapse of the previous Bennett-Lapid coalition. Built from an alliance between Netanyahu’s Likud party, several ultra-Orthodox factions, and hard-right parties, it’s widely regarded as the most hardline government the country has ever had.

In recent weeks, Netanyahu has also shifted his messaging. Last month, he said he wants to build what he called a broad national government, explicitly distancing himself from framing it as either right-wing or left-wing, or one reliant on Arab parties. That approach suggests he’s trying to position his campaign around the idea of national unity rather than strict ideological loyalty.

Netanyahu’s most serious rivals for the premiership are former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, who now leads the Yashar party, and former prime minister Naftali Bennett, who currently heads the Together party.