Ra'am

Eisenkot declares victory as opposition bloc leads Netanyahu's, but neither have clear path to majority • Arab parties skyrocket as Netanyahu's right-wing partners fall

The Jerusalem Post has prepared a series of explainers breaking down the platforms, leaders, and main positions of the main parties running in the election.

Arab commentators are divided over whether Israel’s elections could revive regional diplomacy, but few expect a fundamental shift in policy toward the Palestinians.

The average gap between the two major blocs stands at 4.5 seats, with neither reaching the 61-seat majority needed to form a government.

Each new poll produces a headline that often disagrees with other outlets. Israelis follow polls like a tennis match, their heads swiveling from side to side, following the ball in play.

Sixty percent of respondents said they would consider voting for a non-Arab party if it presented a clear plan to address issues important to them.

If no bloc forms a workable government, it could lead to a period of political deadlock and then fresh elections in 2027, with Netanyahu left in charge in the meantime.

With two weeks to go, let’s hear how the parties are going to deal with education, transportation, the environment, the unequal IDF draft, the worrying wave of emigration, and the West Bank.

The court overturned Central Elections Committee decisions disqualifying MK Ofer Cassif, Ra'am and the Joint List, while Sami Abu Shehadeh withdrew his candidacy during proceedings.

Supreme Court President Isaac Amit said the justices unanimously agreed that Abu Shehadeh’s statements were “painful, outrageous and repugnant,” but added that they differed on the legal outcome.