Full Breakdown
Nathan Netanyahu Declares He Won’t Vote for Likud Ahead of 2026 Election
By Drooid · · How we work
Open Letter and Personal Background
Long-time Likud member Nathan Netanyahu, a professor at Bar-Ilan University and cousin of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, posted a letter on X/Twitter on a Tuesday evening. In the letter he announced the immediate termination of his party membership and stated he will not vote for Likud under its current leadership. He framed his decision around four “sins” he attributes to the government: the Judicial Reform, the October 7 attack, failure to support citizens, and refusal to bear responsibility.
Four Criticisms of the Current Government
- Judicial Reform: Nathan calls the reform a “coup d’état,” arguing it concentrates power, empties checks on the executive, and moves the system toward “dictatorial characteristics.”
- October 7 Attack: He cites the Hamas-led assault that killed roughly 1,200 civilians and security personnel and resulted in 251 kidnappings, describing it as the worst disaster since Israel’s founding.
- He notes that volunteers and community groups filled the “governmental vacuum.”
- Accountability: He criticizes the refusal to establish a national commission of inquiry into the October 7 events, arguing that accountability to the public is required regardless of criminal guilt.
Call for a National Commission of Inquiry
Nathan asks readers whether those responsible for the “devastating national rift” can repair it, and he questions why a commission has not been created more than three years after the massacre. He argues that the lack of an inquiry undermines public trust and hampers the nation’s ability to heal.
Public Reaction and Upcoming Election
On October 19, 2026, Likud activists displayed the party flag alongside a hybrid Israeli-American flag in Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda market. In the weeks leading up to the general election scheduled for October 24, 2026, thousands gathered at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, demanding a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 attack. Nathan’s public break with Likud adds a high-profile personal dimension to the broader debate over the party’s direction ahead of the vote.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Society was torn from within, national cohesion was shattered, and senior security officials warned of the security danger,” — Nathan Netanyahu, Bar-Ilan University professor