Netanyahu Officially Announces His Participation In The 2026 Elections

• 19.10.2025, 8:22

The politician already holds the record for the longest tenure as prime minister of Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has officially confirmed that he intends to run for election again and fight for a new mandate as head of government.

This is according to statements made by Netanyahu on Channel 14 television on October 18.

When asked by a reporter if he plans to run for office in the elections scheduled for October 2026, he answered "yes."

When asked if he was confident of winning, Netanyahu also briefly replied, "Yes, I will win."

Longest tenure in power in Israel's history

Netanyahu, leader of the center-right Likud party, already holds the record for longest tenure as Israel's prime minister - more than 18 years cumulatively (with breaks since 1996).

In the last election in 2022, his bloc of right-wing parties won again after briefly losing power in 2021. The Likud won 32 Knesset seats, with allies from ultra-Orthodox parties winning another 18 seats and the Religious Zionism bloc winning 14, a record for the far right.

Political challenges: protests and war

Netanyahu's current term has been accompanied by serious internal crises. His attempt at judicial reform has sparked the largest protests in the country's history.

After the Hamas attack from Gaza and the outbreak of war, the prime minister has faced a wave of criticism from the families of Israeli hostages, who accuse the government of slow action to free them.