Story perspectives

Netanyahu Targets Sub-61 Seats, Knesset Dissolved, Oct. 27 Vote

7/17/2026

Summary

Story summary

Netanyahu aims to keep opposition below the 61-seat threshold while his adviser expects no new centrist party.
The 25th Knesset dissolved on July 17, 2026, setting October 27, 2026 election and primaries for Democrats, Religious Zionist and Likud on July 20, July 26 and August 4, 2026, with broadcasts beginning October 13, 2026.
Early voting abroad starts October 20, 2026 for embassy staff, military personnel and national institution representatives.

History

Historical Context

In the May 1977 election, Menachem Begin’s Likud captured 43 Knesset seats, ending three decades of Labor-Alignment rule and forming Israel’s first right-wing government on 21 June 1977. The victory, driven by Mizrahi and religious voters, reshaped coalition arithmetic, a playbook Netanyahu cites in his 2026 bid to keep opposition below the 61-seat majority.

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Story summary

Netanyahu aims to keep opposition below the 61-seat threshold while his adviser expects no new centrist party.
The 25th Knesset dissolved on July 17, 2026, setting October 27, 2026 election and primaries for Democrats, Religious Zionist and Likud on July 20, July 26 and August 4, 2026, with broadcasts beginning October 13, 2026.
Early voting abroad starts October 20, 2026 for embassy staff, military personnel and national institution representatives.

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