Story perspectives

Netanyahu Says He Doesn’t Know How to Regain Likud Seats

8/28/2026

Center

Netanyahu Faces Rotation

On August 27, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told associates he does not know how to win back the ten Likud seats lost in polls.
Likud officials are discussing a post-election rotation government with Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot, including a possible future move for Netanyahu to the presidency.
Ofer Winter launched the People of Israel party on Tuesday.
Polls said the party could win five seats, pushing the Religious Zionist Party below threshold.

Left

Netanyahu Loses Seats

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told associates on August 27 he does not know how to win back the ten Likud seats lost in recent polls.
The setback highlights Likud’s reliance on personal loyalty to Netanyahu and an erosion of party democracy.
Netanyahu refused a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 attack despite senior resignations.
The Qatargate scandal showed senior aides allegedly received paid work for Qatar, blurring public-office boundaries.

Blindspot

The Qatargate scandal revealed that senior aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu allegedly performed paid work for Qatar, blurring the line between public office and private service.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

Founded in 1973, Likud broke the left’s 30-year rule by winning 43 Knesset seats in the 1977 election, a shift driven by Mizrahi voters. Benjamin Netanyahu entered the Knesset in 1988 and later led Likud to return to power, most recently after the 2009 win. Today polls show Likud slipping ten seats as it negotiates with Gadi Eisenkot’s Religious Zionist Party amid the Qatargate scandal.

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Netanyahu Faces Rotation

On August 27, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told associates he does not know how to win back the ten Likud seats lost in polls.
Likud officials are discussing a post-election rotation government with Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot, including a possible future move for Netanyahu to the presidency.
Ofer Winter launched the People of Israel party on Tuesday.
Polls said the party could win five seats, pushing the Religious Zionist Party below threshold.

1 / 4