Israel to hold Knesset elections on October 27. Will PM Benjamin Netanyahu get another term? | World

While the country continues with its military operations in Lebanon, Israel announced on Sunday that the general elections will take place on October 27, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu eyeing another term in the office. This will be the first since 1988 when elections are happening in Israel following a complete four-year term.

The decision was announced by Knesset House Committee chairman Likud MK Ofir Katz, who noted that the current Knesset will complete its full four-year term on July 17. Knesset legal adviser Sagit Afik also reiterated that Netanyahu’s coalition government has no intention of shortening the Knesset’s tenure and no ‘dissolution law’ will be required this time.

Israel’s Parliament or the Knesset has 120 seats and a party or a coalition needs 61 seats to form the government. Currently, a five-party right-wing coalition led by Netanyahu is in power in Israel. The coalition includes Netanyahu’s Likud, Aryeh Deri’s Shas, the United Torah Judaism, Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism and Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit.

Can Netanyahu secure a seventh term?

Netanyahu has had six terms as Israel’s prime minister. He remains the country’s longest serving prime minister and is eyeing a seventh term. But a recent survey has suggested that the ruling coalition might just fall short of a simple majority in the parliament.

The survey, published by The Economist, suggests the current government may win around 54 seats, with Likud alone bagging 25 seats. It also predicted nine seats for Shas, five for Religious Zionism, and eight each for United Torah Judaism and Otzma Yehudit.

The survey predicted that opposition parties could bag 65 seats, but the ruling coalition remains confident of a victory. 

“Ultimately, despite everything that was said, this Knesset is completing its full term, something that has not happened for more than 40 years,” The Jerusalem Post quoted coalition whip MK Ofir Katz (Likud) as saying. “We passed nine budgets and hundreds of laws that benefit the citizens of the State of Israel.”

Meanwhile, the opposition has called for an immediate resignation of Netanyahu, criticising the prime minister over many of his policies, including the military operations in Gaza and Lebanon. It believes that Netanyahu will lose the power in the next elections and a new government will be formed. 

“We will replace the government of the October 7 massacre and establish a Zionist and statesmanlike government, and we will rebuild the country,” The Jerusalem Post quoted Yisrael Beytenu leader MK Avigdor Liberman as saying.

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