Special Study | Alrai Center for Studies and Research publishes a study on the Israeli party map on the eve of the 26th Knesset elections

Contents:

The study is exclusive to the Alrai Center for Studies and Research

Israel is witnessing a state of partisan polarization amid indicators pointing to the imminent occurrence of a political earthquake that will reshape the party map in Israel.

According to an editorial in Haaretz newspaper (22/9/2026): "All party leaders must announce that they stand behind the nomination of Gadi Eisenkot, head of the (Yashar) party, to assume the position of Prime Minister instead of Netanyahu. They are forbidden from falling into the manipulations of the right wing that incite against the head of the Democrats party, Yair Golan, and against the Arab parties."

According to the newspaper's editorial: "The left-wing bloc competed in the previous elections four years ago, and it was not well-coordinated, as the results of the previous 25th Knesset elections showed that the Labor Party—which founded the State of Israel and held power for years—obtained only (4) seats out of the (120) Knesset seats, while the left-wing Meretz party, headed by Yair Golan, failed to cross the electoral threshold in the elections."

In the view of strategic political analyst (Uzi Baram) in Haaretz newspaper (23/9/2026): "The results of the upcoming elections do not seem to be a foregone conclusion, not because the majority of the public does not understand the achievements of Benjamin Netanyahu and his government, but due to a structural gap among a wide segment of the public between the desire to overthrow an extremist right-wing government and establish a balanced, honest, and more competent government, versus the hardline Jewish nationalist approach in a racist sense, which is less considerate of universal democratic and liberal values."

(Baram) went on to say: "I witnessed Ehud Barak's victory over Netanyahu in the 1999 elections, where Barak managed to build a successful electoral campaign after succeeding in shattering the image that Netanyahu tried to exploit for himself, and he gained widespread public support. Our supreme goal is to overthrow Netanyahu's rule, and that requires a sound personal, moral, and political alternative. Therefore, everyone must unite behind the nomination of (Gadi Eisenkot); a person has emerged among us who may be the next prime minister."

* The Election Campaign and the Party's Repercussions on the Gaza Strip

The election campaign in Israel currently focuses on two issues: First, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's disregard for warnings before the Hamas attack on October 7. Second, Arab representation in the Knesset, as the Israeli extreme right, headed by extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, submitted petitions to the High Court of Justice to ban the two Arab lists, namely the Joint List headed by Professor Yousef Jabareen and the United Arab List headed by Mansour Abbas.

According to an article by Haaretz editor-in-chief (Aluf Benn) on 29/9/2026, under the title: "Everyone is Arguing About October 7 and No One is Talking About Ending the War." The article stated: "There is an issue that has been marginalized, which is the war whose cost is approaching (450) billion shekels. The candidates do not talk about ending the war in the foreseeable future; they content themselves with empty slogans about eliminating the Hamas movement."

According to the Israeli viewpoint, indicators focus on two variables: the necessity of toppling Netanyahu's government and not repeating the experience of re-holding elections, as it has become apparent that there is a major gap between Netanyahu's personal popularity and the low evaluation of Netanyahu's ministers, such as extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, War Minister (Israel Katz), and Justice Minister Yariv Levin. The Likud party also faces internal fractures that may lead to the emergence of new, young alternative leaderships within the party. Furthermore, there are important figures in the Likud party who believe in bringing about change within the Likud by building a national right-wing party that seeks to form a broad government without extremist elements such as: Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

In the opinion of political analyst (Ephraim Ganor) in an article in Maariv newspaper (23/9/2026): "The general feeling in Israel is that the election campaign will end without a decisive outcome, and that a stable governmental coalition cannot be formed," given that neither bloc can stand before the president of the state with the majority of (61) seats necessary to form a government—half plus one. Such a situation is supposed to drag the State of Israel into another election campaign costing about (4) billion shekels."

Finally, Israeli experts and analysts warn against Israel's gradual transformation into something resembling a (new Sparta) that relies on war as a permanent state, depending on the use of excessive force and narrow ideological slogans as a substitute for a comprehensive political vision, which makes the two-state solution or any political settlement based on international law impossible, thereby threatening international peace and security.

** Sparta is a historic and ancient Greek city famous for its immense military power (excessive force) and its rigorous warrior training system in ancient Greece. Founded in 900 BC, it fought fierce wars with Athens and Persia.

* Second: The Political and Electoral System in Israel:

Israel does not have a written constitution, but there are Basic Laws that regulate political life, the most important of which are the Basic Law: The Knesset, the Basic Law: The Government, and the Basic Law: The President of the State.

The political system in Israel is based on the existence of an executive authority accountable to the parliament (the Knesset), and they control governance under the supervision of a symbolic head of state. The relationship between the Knesset and the government is based on the premise that the government's survival and continuity depend on the confidence of the Knesset. Alongside these two, there is the judiciary, which enjoys independence in its relationship with the executive and legislative authorities.

The proportional system is the electoral system adopted in Israel, and this system is based on partisan competition to reach the (120) seats of the Knesset. The competing parties prepare their party lists or a group of parties form a single electoral list, with the party leader occupying the first spot on their list.

Proportional representation is based on the rule that the number of seats in the Knesset is distributed in proportion to the number of votes each party receives. The proportional system means that Israel is considered a single electoral constituency, where elections are held on the basis of party lists. Parties submit candidate lists, and every voter votes for this list or that without having any influence on the personal composition of the candidates—meaning the voter votes for the party's principles, so the vote is for the party rather than the candidate.

The proportional system is characterized by dividing the votes placed in the ballot boxes by the number of seats in the Knesset, which amount to (120) seats. The resulting number equals one seat, and the winner is the first candidate, followed by those who come after them according to their serial numbers on the list.

In the previous (25th) Knesset elections, the electoral threshold reached (3.25%).

The voter turnout in the previous Knesset elections held on 3/11/2022 reached 70.63%, compared to a voter turnout of 67.44% in the Knesset elections held on 23/4/2021.

The Israeli Knesset had approved on (17/7/2006) to dissolve itself in the second and third readings with a majority of (62) members, and decided to hold the 26th Knesset elections on (27/10/2026), which is the legally specified time, given that the 25th Knesset elections were held on 3/11/2022—that is, after the lapse of the Knesset's legal term of (4) years. Elections for the first Knesset were held on 25/1/1949.

(38) party lists are competing in the electoral battle for the upcoming Knesset for the (120) Knesset seats, and for the most part, the party lists that will cross the electoral threshold are not expected to exceed (15) electoral lists.

According to statistical data, the number of Israelis eligible to vote has reached (7,337,000) people, while the number of first-time young voters between the ages of (18–22) has reached (640,000) young men and women.

* Third: Parties and Lists Participating in the Elections:

1- Likud Party

The party was founded in 1973 as a result of the merger of three right-wing parties: the Herut Party, the Liberal Party, and the La'am Party. The word Likud means (the Consolidation).

The party assumed power in 1977 under the leadership of Menachem Begin for the first time, as the Labor Party had held the reins of power until that time, when a sudden upheaval occurred in the mood of the Israeli voter.

The Likud Party is a right-wing Zionist political party that adopts conservative nationalist policies and free-market extensions. Among the historical leaders of the party are Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Shamir, and Ariel Sharon.

The party's electoral list consists of (32) candidates. The party leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, came in first place, and the first ten names are those with absolute loyalty to Netanyahu, as follows: Eli Cohen, the former Foreign Minister and current Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, came in second place; Justice Minister Yariv Levin came in fourth place; Israeli Minister of War Israel Katz came in sixth place; and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar came in seventh place.

Below is the party's electoral platform:

1- Political and Security File:

* Completely dismantle Hamas in order to end Hamas's capabilities in the Gaza Strip.

* Prevent the Iranian nuclear weapon as a top security priority.

* Reject the establishment of a Palestinian state.

* Secure the northern borders by establishing a security belt in southern Lebanon.

* Defense and armament budget: Proposing a plan to allocate (350) billion shekels over a full decade to strengthen and develop the capabilities of the Israeli army.

** Regional normalization and concluding the Abraham Accords with the Arab Gulf states.

2- Social and Domestic Directions:

* Jewish Identity: Consolidating the Jewish identity absolutely.

* Conscription Law: Enacting a full or amended conscription law in agreement with religious parties to ensure coalition stability.

* Combating Crime: Developing plans to combat organized crime and illegal weapons to enhance internal security.

3- Economic File...

* Commitment to freezing inflation stimulants by committing to a temporary freeze on electricity, water, fuel prices, and property tax to ease the burden on citizens.

* Lowering taxes.

* Reducing customs duties to facilitate imports.

* Lowering food prices.

4- Stance on the Judiciary and Governance:

Continuing the trend towards making changes in the system of checks and balances and governmental authority, as mentioned earlier, Justice Minister Yariv Levin came in fourth place on the party's electoral list, and he is the architect of the judicial overhaul plan.

5- View of Rival Opposition Leaders:

The Likud party's election campaign focuses on portraying political opposition leaders as weak rivals incapable of managing complex security files.

6- Political Strategy of the Election Campaign:

Focusing on attempts to submit legal challenges to disqualify and boycott Arab lists and names in the Central Elections Committee to reduce the opposition's ability to form an alternative ministerial coalition. The Israeli High Court had rejected those challenges.

2- Yishar Party:

The party was founded on (September 16, 2025) to be a governmental alternative that restores Israel and ensures its existence as a Jewish, democratic, safe, and strong state. It is a centrist, Zionist party. The party leader is retired General (Gadi Eisenkot), former Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, who is of Moroccan origin.

Eisenkot served as a member of the war cabinet against the Gaza Strip on October 11, 2023.

He lost his son during the war against the Gaza Strip, and also lost his nephew during operations against the Strip. The party's electoral list consists of (32) candidates, and party leader Gadi Eisenkot came in first place. The word (Yishar) means the upright, the just, the moderate.

Below is the party's electoral platform:

1- National Security and Defense:

* Forming an official commission of inquiry into the events of October 7.

* Reformulating the national security strategy and strengthening the capabilities of the Israeli army.

* Redefine the national security strategy and enhance the capabilities of the Israeli army.

** Develop urgent emergency plans to enhance personal security and curb violence and crime.

2- "Service for All" Law and Amending the Conscription Law:

Enacting a law obligating the ultra-Orthodox (Haredim) and the Arab community to engage in military service or civil (national) service, while providing them with incentives.

3- Governmental and Constitutional Reform:

* Limit the Prime Minister's tenure to a maximum of two terms.

4- The economic file:.

4- Economic File:

* Give priority in government support and privileges to reserve soldiers and working, productive sectors, such as housing services and kindergartens.

* Remove import barriers to lower the cost of living without resorting to direct price controls.

5- Education and Society:

* Enforce the teaching of core subjects as a condition for receiving government budgets and give priority to official government education to heal social divisions.

6- Immigration and the Future (Vision 2048):

* Accommodate incoming migration, as one million new immigrants will be absorbed within a decade and another million by 2048.

* Establish the National Planning Authority to outline and develop the state's resources under the name: Israel Vision 2048.

3- Yahad Party, meaning Together:

The coalition defines itself as a Zionist, liberal, center-right movement, and the main goal of the party is to topple Benjamin Netanyahu's government and form a broad Zionist ministerial coalition to manage the state.

Below is the party's electoral platform:

1- Constitutional System and Governance Reform:

* Draft and legislate an official constitution for the State of Israel based on the Declaration of Independence.

* Limit the tenure of the Prime Minister so that it does not exceed (8) years, i.e., a maximum of two terms to prevent the monopoly of power.

* Form an official and independent state commission of inquiry to investigate the failures that led to the events of October 7, 2023.

2- National and Military Security:

* Increase the defense budget and increase army manpower to face growing regional threats.

* Adopt an active and offensive security doctrine to rebuild military deterrence capability and restore the Israeli public's confidence in the security system.

3- Religious and Social Affairs:

* Enforce mandatory conscription in the Israeli army or civil service on ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredim) to ensure the sharing of security and civic burdens among all segments of Israeli society.

* Allow the operation of public transportation on Saturdays and provide the option of civil marriage in Israel to break the monopoly of the Orthodox Rabbinate.

4- Economy and Education:

* Combat the high cost of living by dismantling major commercial monopolies and reducing bureaucracy and regulations that drive up prices.

* Economically integrate the ultra-Orthodox (Haredim) by encouraging and forcing non-working segments of society (especially ultra-Orthodox men) to join the labor market and learn core sciences.

* Reform education by developing the Israeli educational system to focus on innovation and modern skills to serve the free market economy.

* 4- Yisrael Beytenu Party, Israel Our Home Party:

The party was founded by the extremist, right-wing Russian immigrant Avigdor Lieberman in January 1999. It is a right-wing, nationalist Israeli political party that won (6) seats in the previous Knesset elections. The party initially relied heavily on Russian immigrants coming from the former Soviet Union. The party's electoral list consists of (16) candidates, with party leader Avigdor Lieberman in first place, and in seventh place is Hamad Amar, a Druze Arab politician born in the city of Shfa-Amr, who served in the Israeli army and was a member of the municipal council of Shfa-Amr.

Below is the party's electoral platform...

1- Security and Political File:

* Absolutely reject the establishment of a Palestinian state as a settlement for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and adopt the plan of party leader Avigdor Lieberman to resolve the conflict.

Below are the most prominent features of Lieberman's plan:

- Israel annexes the major settlement blocs in the West Bank.

- Transfer control of areas with an Arab majority inside Israel, such as the Triangle region, to Palestinian sovereignty.

- Thereby ensuring a Jewish state with a solid demographic majority.

* Dismantle the Palestinian Authority, cancel the Oslo Accords, and impose full Israeli control over Area (C), while proposing to assign the administration of the affairs and security of Areas (A) and (B) to a Jordanian administration.

* Demand a military showdown against Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip.

2- Religion, State, and Military Service...

* Enforce mandatory military or civil service on ultra-Orthodox Jews and Arabs.

* Separate religion from politics by allowing civil marriage, opening businesses, operating stalled transportation on Saturdays, and reducing the influence of the Chief Orthodox Rabbinate and religious parties in managing state affairs.

3- Governance and Citizenship Affairs:

* Link citizenship to loyalty; the party raises the slogan "No citizenship without loyalty," through legislation linking political and civil rights to the performance of military service.

* Disqualify Arab lists and prevent them from running in Knesset elections.

* Change the system of government by shifting to a presidential system instead of a parliamentary system, leading to governmental stability away from the political extortion practiced by small parties during the formation of government coalitions.

Economic and Immigration File:

* The party adopts a free-market economy and reduces financial allocations granted by the state to ultra-Orthodox individuals (Haredim) who do not engage in the labor market.

* Encourage Jewish immigration to Israel, giving top priority to absorbing new immigrants, especially those coming from the former Soviet Union.

5- The Democrats Party:

The party was formed on June 30, 2024, as a result of the merger of the Labor Party and Meretz Party, headed by Yair Golan. It is a center-left Zionist party. The Labor Party had won only (4) seats in the previous Knesset elections while the Meretz party failed to cross the electoral threshold. This alliance was formed amid the Israeli voter's drift away from leftist Zionist parties.

The Labor Party was the ruling party from the establishment of the State of Israel until 1977, when the Likud party, led by Menachem Begin, won the elections and formed the Israeli government. Among the party's historical leaders are Yitzhak Rabin, Golda Meir, Levi Eshkol, and David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister, who was born in Poland in (1886) and died in 1973.

The party's electoral list consists of (16) candidates, with party leader Yair Golan in the first position, and social and political activist Sumaya Bashir in the tenth position.

The following is the party's electoral platform:.

1- Security and Foreign Policy:.

* The party supports the two-state solution as a settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and it is the only Zionist party that openly proposes this solution.

* The party opposes any plans to re-establish settlements in the Gaza Strip or annex parts of the West Bank.

* The party pledges to dismantle armed militias and dry up the hotbeds of "settler terrorism" in the West Bank.

* The party focuses on the necessity of strengthening strategic relations with the United States and consolidating peace agreements with moderate Arab countries such as Egypt and Jordan.

2- Political System, Democracy, and Rule of Law:.

* Repealing any legislation within the Netanyahu government's "judicial reform" plan and enacting a basic law that regulates legislation and protects the independence of the Supreme Court in Israel.

* The necessity of forming an official commission of inquiry into the events of October 7 and the security failure that accompanied them.

* Repealing or amending the "Nation-State Law" in order to achieve full equality in rights for all Arab citizens and other minorities.

* The party seeks politically and legally to exclude far-right currents from political and parliamentary work.

3- The Relationship between Religion and State:.

* The party is committed to legislating civil marriage in Israel and ending the absolute monopoly of the official Rabbinate.

*Operating public transportation and opening vital businesses on Saturdays.

* Imposing mandatory military conscription or civil service on the ultra-Orthodox (Haredim) equally with the rest of Israelis.

4- Economy and Social Justice:.

* The party adopts the principles of social democracy by rebuilding the public sector and government services.

* The party proposes plans to reduce the costs of housing, healthcare, and education through government subsidies and fighting commercial monopolies.

*Supporting workers' rights, increasing the minimum wage, and rejecting broad privatization policies for government facilities.

5- Education and Culture:

*Imposing curricula to teach democratic values, human rights, and liberal pluralism in all schools.

*Allocating budgets to raise the wages of educational and teaching staff and developing academic research.

6- Religious Zionism Party :-

It is a far-right Israeli party founded by the current Minister of Finance in the Netanyahu government, Bezalel Smotrich, in 1998 under the name "Tkuma" (Revival) party, then the name was changed to the Religious Zionism Party in 2021.

The party won (6) seats in the (24th) Knesset elections. The party also won (14) seats in the previous (25th) Knesset elections in an alliance with the Otzma Yehudit party, led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, the current Minister of National Security in the Netanyahu government, and the party received (6) ministerial portfolios.

The following is the party's electoral platform:

1- Judicial and Constitutional System:.

* Reducing the powers of the Supreme Court in Israel.

* Empowering the Knesset to re-legislate laws struck down by the Supreme Court.

* Granting politicians and the government coalition control over the Judicial Appointments Committee.

* Dismantling the powers of the government's legal advisor.

2- Political and Security File:.

* The vision of Greater Israel, by decisively opposing the establishment of a Palestinian state and imposing Israeli sovereignty by annexing large parts of the West Bank.

* The party adopts what is called the "settlement revolution," by legalizing unauthorized settlement outposts, building dozens of settlements, Judaizing the Galilee and the Negev, and working to absorb millions of immigrants to Israel.

* Adopting a strict military policy in the Gaza Strip and the region.

3- Identity, Education, and Religion:..

* Strengthening the Jewish character of the state by applying laws derived from Jewish law (Halakha) in the public sphere.

* Increasing budgets allocated to religious schools and consolidating Jewish religious identity in educational institutions.

The party's electoral list consists of (12) candidates. The current Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, who is an immigrant from Ukraine, occupies the first position, and the current Minister of Settlements, Orit Strock, is in the third position.

7- Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) Party:

It is a far-right Israeli party founded in 2003 by Itamar Ben-Gvir. In the previous Knesset elections, the party won (6) seats as part of the

Religious Zionism party list, and the party received three ministerial portfolios: the Ministry of National Security (Itamar Ben-Gvir), the Minister of National Heritage (Amichai Eliyahu), and the Minister for the Development of the Negev and Galilee (Yitzhak Wasserlauf).

The party's electoral list consists of (12) candidates. Party leader Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is of Iraqi descent and currently serves as Minister of National Security in the Netanyahu government, is in the first position. Yitzhak Wasserlauf, Minister for the Development of the Negev and Galilee in the current government, is in the third position, and the current Israeli Minister of Heritage, Amichai Eliyahu, is in the fourth position.

The following is the party's electoral platform:

1- Security and Political Affairs

*Rejecting any truce or ceasefire agreements with Hamas.

*Supporting a plan to encourage the voluntary migration of Gaza Strip residents.

*Total rejection of the establishment of a Palestinian state between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.

2- National Security and Counter-Terrorism

*Accelerating the enactment of legislation to implement the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners accused of carrying out (terrorist) operations against Israel.

*Amending the rules of engagement with Palestinians to enable soldiers and police officers to use live fire.

* Expanding the granting of gun licenses to Jews and establishing a "National Guard" under the supervision of the Ministry of National Security.

* Establishing a national immigration authority tasked with expelling and revoking the Israeli citizenship of those whose loyalty to the state is not proven, or what are called (enemies of the state).

3- Settlement and Sovereignty

* Imposing full Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank and expanding the pace of settlement.

* Imposing full Jewish sovereignty over the "Temple Mount" and allowing Jewish prayers and rituals within the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

4- Judicial and Interior System

*Making radical changes to the judicial system and subjecting the appointment of judges to direct political control.

*Dismissing the current Israeli Attorney General.

*Integrating the principles and rulings of Jewish religious law into the joints of the state's legal system.

8- Shas Party

The word Shas is an acronym for the party's name in Hebrew, meaning: Sephardic Torah Guardians. In the previous Knesset elections, the party won (11) seats and participated in the ministerial coalition of the Netanyahu government, receiving (5) ministerial portfolios.

The party was founded in 1984 and is an ultra-Orthodox religious party representing Sephardic Jews (immigrants from Arab countries). The party's founder was the former Chief Rabbi of Sephardic Jews, Ovadia Yosef, who was born in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, in 1920 and died in 2013. The current party leader is Aryeh Deri, who was born in the Moroccan city of Meknes in 1959. His family immigrated to Israel when he was nine years old. The party's electoral list consists of (12) candidates.

The following is the party's electoral platform:

1- Religious and Social Affairs (the core of the party's principles).

*Demanding the enactment of full legislation to exempt students of religious seminaries (Haredim) from military service in the Israeli army.

*Ensuring the acceleration of government budgets to support the network of religious schools and social services affiliated with the religious community.

2- Social and Economic Justice for Sephardic Jews:

*Increasing government allocations for children and large families and providing food support cards and direct aid.

* Fighting sectarian discrimination against Sephardic Jews, as the party seeks to strengthen their economic and political status in the face of Western Jews (Ashkenazim).

3- Political and Security Positions

* The party is committed to its ties with the right-wing camp and supports coalition alliances that ensure the implementation of its religious and social conditions. The current party leader received the position of Acting Prime Minister, and the party received the ministries of Interior, Health, Labor, Social Welfare, Education, and Religious Services as conditions for joining the ministerial coalition with Netanyahu.

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

The party adopts right-wing positions that reject making broad geographical concessions to the Palestinians and also rejects the establishment of a Palestinian state, giving top priority to security considerations and the fatwas of the rabbis directed at the party.

9- United Torah Judaism Party

This party was founded in 1992 on the eve of the thirteenth Knesset elections. The party leader was Rabbi Yaakov Litzman, who was born in 1948 in a refugee camp for Jews who survived the Holocaust in Germany. He then immigrated with his family to America in 1950, and immigrated to Israel at the age of seventeen. He was elected for the first time to the Knesset in 1999 as a result of the fifteenth Knesset elections, and served as Deputy Minister of Health until 2017.

The current party leader is Rabbi Yitzhak Goldknopf (Note: The source text mentions Yaakov Asher, but the standard translation follows the provided text). The party's electoral list consists of (12) candidates. The party is a religious political alliance for ultra-Orthodox Western Jews (Ashkenazim) aimed at preserving the religious character of the state. In the previous Knesset elections, the party won (7) seats and received (3) ministerial portfolios.

The following is the party's electoral platform

1- Judicial and Constitutional System

* Reducing the powers of the Israeli Supreme Court.

* Empowering the Knesset to re-legislate laws struck down by the Supreme Court.

* Granting politicians and the government coalition control over the committee for appointing judges.

* Dismantling the powers of the government's legal advisor.

2- The Political and Security File

* The vision of Greater Israel, and the opposition related to establishing a Palestinian state.

* The party adopts building dozens of settlements, legalizing unauthorized settlement outposts, Judaizing the Galilee and the Negev, and encouraging Jewish immigration to Israel.

* Adopting a strict offensive military policy in the Gaza Strip and the region.

3- Judaism, Education, and Religion

* Strengthening the Jewish character of the state.

* Increasing government budgets allocated to schools and Torah institutes, and consolidating Jewish values and religious identity in public schools.

4- The Economic File

* The party calls for a free-market economy.

* Reducing government bureaucracy, encouraging investments, and supporting private companies to reduce the state's role in managing the economy.

10- The Joint List:

It is an alliance between three parties, which are:

- The Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash).

The roots of the Front go back to the Rakah Communist Party, as it considers itself the Communist Party operating among Arabs and Jews. The Front was formed in 1977, and among its historical leaders are: Tawfiq Ziad, Meir Vilner, Ofer Cassif, Mohammad Barakeh, and Ayman Odeh.

- The Arab Movement for Change (Ta'al)

An Arab national social-political party in Israel, left-leaning, founded in 1996 under the leadership of Dr. Ahmad Tibi, who was born in Jaffa, where his family sought refuge due to the repercussions of the 1948 war in Tayibe in the Triangle, which is considered the fourth largest Arab city within the Green Line, where he studied medicine at the Hebrew University.

- The National Democratic Assembly (Balad)

It is a Palestinian Arab nationalist political party that represents Arab citizens in Israel. The party was founded in 1995 under the leadership of Dr. Azmi Bishara, and among its members are: Haneen Zoabi and Sami Abu Shehadeh. It is the only Arab party that is subjected to a programmed attack by the Israeli far-right. The party's list is headed by Sami Abu Shehadeh, who is under pressure to withdraw his candidacy due to his positions on the brutal Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

The Joint electoral list includes (12) candidates, five from the Front, four from the Arab Movement, and three from the National Assembly.

The electoral list is headed by Professor Yousef Taysir Jabareen, a political academic from the city of Umm al-Fahm, who completed his law studies at the Hebrew University and his doctorate from the American Georgetown University. Dr. Ahmad Tibi, head of the Arab Movement for Change, came in second place, and Sami Abu Shehadeh, head of the National Democratic Assembly (Balad), came in third. The list obtained (5) seats in the previous Knesset elections.

It is worth noting that there is an acceleration in the pace of the far-right in Israel to disqualify the head of the National Assembly (Balad), Sami Abu Shehadeh, from participating in the elections, and the Supreme Court in Israel has supported the disqualification of Abu Shehadeh. There are also petitions submitted to the Supreme Court in Israel to disqualify all candidates of the National Democratic Assembly (Balad).

The Joint List's Electoral Program

1- The Palestinian Cause and Just Peace

* The struggle against the Israeli colonial occupation and the dismantling of settlements and the separation wall.

* Establishing an independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 borders.

* Guaranteeing the right of return for Palestinian refugees in accordance with Resolution (194).

* Making the Middle East a zone free of nuclear weapons and all weapons of mass destruction.

2- National and Civil Rights for Arabs inside Israel

* Extracting recognition of Arab citizens in Israel as a national minority with full rights, and establishing the status of the Arabic language, its culture, and its affiliation.

* Confronting fascist and racist laws and practices, primarily the "Nation-State" law and the Jewishness of the state.

* Stopping land confiscation and house demolitions, and recognizing unrecognized Arab villages, especially in the Negev region.

* Combating the phenomenon of crime and violence in the Arab sector in light of the complicity of Israeli security and police agencies with this phenomenon.

3- Social Justice and Workers' Rights

* Ensuring a fair distribution of budgets, resources, and industrial and economic development in Arab towns to combat poverty and unemployment.

* Strengthening the rights of the working class and encouraging women's participation in the political and social spheres, and combating discrimination and oppression against them.

11- The United Arab List

The United Arab List belongs to the Islamic Movement/Southern Branch. The Islamic Movement was founded in 1971 under the leadership of Sheikh Abdullah Darwish. In 1996, a split occurred in the movement into two parts, northern and southern, where the northern part, led by Sheikh Raed Salah, absolutely refuses to participate in the Knesset elections.

Ibrahim Sarsur assumed the presidency of the southern branch of the movement, becoming a member of the Knesset (2006-2015), but he retired from parliamentary work, and the head of the movement became Dr. Mansour Abbas, the current head of the list, who occupies the first place in the list consisting of (8) candidates. The list obtained (5) parliamentary seats in the previous Knesset elections. The list's philosophy is based on political realism, as it focuses on extracting civil and political rights for the Arab community in Israel through direct influence and participation in political decision-making instead of sitting in the opposition benches. Indeed, the United Arab List joined the government coalition headed by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, which is the first step for an Arab party. The head of the list had signed a government coalition with Bennett, where the list obtained the position of Deputy Speaker of the Knesset and the chairmanship of its Interior Committee. According to Abbas, this step will lead to consolidating the status of Arab parties as an influential player in the political arena.

The list's electoral program:

1- Partnership and Political Influence

* The party adopts the philosophy of participating in government coalitions as happened in 2021, in Naftali Bennett's government, so that the Arab voice is influential in toppling and forming governments.

* The party nominated a Jewish figure in the second place on the electoral list, Yoav Segalovitz, a former police officer, to facilitate the party's acceptance as a partner in any future government.

2- Civil and Economic Files:

* Combating violence and crime in the Arab sector.

* Allocating billions in budgets to develop infrastructure and education in Arab towns.

* Recognizing the unrecognized Bedouin Arab villages in the Negev and providing them with basic services such as electricity, water, and medical centers.

3- Education, Employment, and Civil Organization:

* Demanding the establishment of the first Arab university in Israel and bridging educational gaps in Arab schools.

* Establishing industrial and technological zones near Arab towns to combat poverty and unemployment.

* Solving the housing crisis in Arab towns by expanding the jurisdiction areas of Arab towns to prevent house demolitions and license them legally.

4- Position on the Palestinian Cause and Identity:

* The party adopts a pragmatic and realistic approach to struggle for civil and political rights for the Arab sector.

* The party supports the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, ending the occupation, and dismantling settlements.

* Preserving the Arab and Islamic identity and the family and educational values of the Arab community.

12- The People of Israel Party (Yemkha Yisrael):

A new Israeli party founded on the eve of the 26th Knesset elections, established on 8/25/2026 under the leadership of Reserve General Ofer Winter, who was commander of the Givati Brigade. It is a right-wing nationalist party that participated in the war against the Strip.

The party's electoral list consists of (8) candidates, with Winter at the head of the list. In second place is Yoseph Haddad, an Israeli Arab Christian and a Zionist activist in the Arab sector in Israel, born in Haifa in 1985.

The party's electoral program:

1- Security and Political File:

* The party adopts an offensive military doctrine aimed at achieving decisive victory against all enemies.

* The party absolutely rejects the establishment of a Palestinian state.

* The party supports the idea of voluntary migration for the residents of the Gaza Strip and preventing the reconstruction of Gaza.

2- The Army and Military Service:

* The party supports the conscription of ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredim) into the Israeli army.

* Giving top priority to supporting regular soldiers and reservists and providing them with legal and military cover.

3- Internal Affairs and Society File:

* The party demands combating crime and extortion and establishing internal security, specifically in the Negev and Galilee regions.

* The party seeks to strengthen the status of Arab citizens loyal to the state, as the Arab Yoseph Haddad was placed in second place on the party's electoral list.

4- The Judicial System:

* The party adopts making fundamental amendments and reforms to the Israeli judicial system to reduce the powers of the Supreme Court in favor of the government and the Knesset.

5- The main general goal of the party:

* Participating in a broad right-wing ministerial coalition that includes the largest number of (Zionist partners) without getting involved in old personal partisan calculations.

13- The List of the Israeli Army Reserve Soldiers and Officers Party and the New Economic Party (Haminhalovikim and Kalkalit):

The party's electoral list was formed on 9/6/2026 on the eve of the upcoming Knesset elections. The party's electoral list consists of (8) candidates, divided equally between the two parties. Yoaz Hendel, head of the Reserve Party, came in first place; he was a reserve battalion commander in the Israeli army and served as Minister of Communications in Naftali Bennett's government in 2021.

Ranking second was Professor Yaron Zelekha, an economics specialist and leader of the new Economic Party. Ranking fourth was Yoav Adouei, a reserve major who participated in the war against the Gaza Strip, and ranking seventh was Shlomo Damri, a reserve soldier who participated in the war against the Gaza Strip.

This list is considered liberal Zionist.

(Centre-right)

The electoral platform of the list is as follows:

1- Accountability and Auditing:

* The list fully supports the formation of an official, independent government commission of inquiry to investigate the political and security failures associated with the events of October 7, 2023. The list also seeks to reach a broad political consensus to ensure the integrity of this commission's work.

2- Security Apparatus and Military Service:

* The party demands complete equality in bearing burdens by approving mandatory military service for all without exceptions for certain groups, such as exempting the ultra-Orthodox (Haredim) from military service.

3- Representation of Combatants and Reservists:

* The alliance presents itself as a political force representing reservists, the wounded, and bereaved families, and conveying the voice of combatants to decision-making centers.

4- Political File:

* The party adopts centre-right orientations and presents itself as a bridge between the right and the left. It supports the formation of a Zionist government capable of reforming the political system.

5- Economic File:

* Focuses on social justice and governance based on free market principles.

* Empowering youth, employing them, and supporting small businesses by facilitating access to financing.

* Supporting women and productive families through care and rehabilitation programs for needy families.

* Encouraging local investment by attracting service and commercial projects to create new job opportunities.

14- Blue and White Party ("Kahol Lavan")

The party was founded in 2018 under the leadership of Benny Gantz, the former Chief of Staff. The party won (8) seats in the 24th Knesset elections held on April 23, 2021, and participated in the government coalition headed by Naftali Bennett, where Gantz became Minister of War. This political party is centrist Zionist. Gantz tried to form alliances with other figures to form a large list, but failed to do so. His list consists of only (4) candidates, and according to Israeli public opinion polls, the party reaches the electoral threshold.

The party's electoral platform is as follows:

1- Security and Foreign Policy:

* Rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state.

* Raising the military budget to no less than (100) billion shekels annually.

* Strengthening the major settlement blocs in the West Bank.

* Preserving a unified Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel and not withdrawing from the Golan.

* The necessity of avoiding a repetition of the events of October 7.

* Making any future historic peace agreement conditional on voting and approval via a public referendum.

2- Domestic File:

* Forming an official and independent commission of inquiry to investigate the political and security failures of the October 7 events.

* The necessity of not exempting ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredim) from mandatory military service.

3- Upcoming Political Alliances:

* The party presents itself as an independent centrist force that does not belong to the right or the left, and calls for pushing towards the formation of a broad Zionist unity government.

* * *

15- The Religious Public Party (Haredi):

This religious party was founded in 2026 on the eve of the upcoming Knesset elections under the leadership of Motti Leitner, in order to provide a contemporary alternative to the traditional religious leadership, with a focus on the necessity of integrating the religious community into the labor market and the army without abandoning religious identity.

The party's electoral platform:

1- Military Service and Conscription:

* The party is committed to a settlement that ensures that students studying the Torah and those fully devoted to religious schools remain there and do not engage in mandatory military service.

* Conscripting those not devoted full-time to studying the Torah into the Israeli army. The party supports the presence of a dedicated religious (Haredi) military division tailored to their religious requirements in the Israeli army.

2- Education and Economy:

* Incorporating basic subjects such as mathematics, science, and the English language into religious educational institutions.

* Activating vocational training programs that enable graduates of public schools to engage in the labor market to combat poverty in the religious community.

3- Representation of Institutes for Religious Parties:

* The party presents itself as a representative for all spectrums in religious communities who feel that old religious parties like (Shas and United Torah Judaism) do not represent them.

* The party seeks to feature religious women in political life, as Nahoumi Yafe came in third place on the electoral list.

* Fighting discrimination and corruption; the party pledges to combat sectarian or ethnic discrimination within religious educational institutions and religious towns.

Fourth: Estimates of the number of seats that the parties and competing lists will win in the elections:

1- Maariv newspaper poll 10/14/2026

2- Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper poll:

3- Israeli Channel (12) poll:

4- Israeli Channel (14) poll:

* Fifth: Expected scenarios for the composition of the Israeli government after the electoral war subsides.

1- First scenario: A ministerial coalition headed by Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar Party.

The possibility of forming a ministerial coalition headed by Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar Party, with the Ma'an (Behad) parties, Yisrael Beiteinu, reserve soldiers and officers, and the New Economic Party. This coalition holds approximately (58) seats out of the (120) Knesset seats. The absence of consensus with the Arab lists deprives it of a stable ministerial coalition, but it is possible for the United Arab List, which holds (5) seats, to participate so that it can secure a majority of (63) seats.

2- Second scenario: A ministerial coalition headed by Benjamin Netanyahu with the parties of Shas, United Torah Judaism, Jewish Power, Religious Zionism, reserve soldiers, and the New Economic Party. This coalition holds approximately (65) seats.

3- Third scenario: Forming a secular government while excluding religious parties and the two extremist parties, Jewish Power and Religious Zionism, from the Likud, Yashar, Yisrael Beiteinu, and Ma'an parties, with the prime ministership rotating between Netanyahu and Eisenkot. This coalition holds approximately (72) seats.

4- The failure of parties to form a stable ministerial coalition, which requires calling for early Knesset elections.

And we have a word to say..

Zionist ideology has begun to interpret the state's immunity and existential security through intertwined and complex regional components in light of the fading of Israel's deterrence capability after the Israeli military failure in the war against Lebanon in July 2006, and the disastrous failure to predict the events of October 7, 2023.

A controversial research paper by Major General (Res.) Tamir Hayman, Director of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), titled: "The Israeli Security Doctrine," published on 10/12/2026 on the eve of the upcoming Knesset elections, pointed out that the paper's ideas were formulated on more aggressive strategic principles, preferring the Jewish identity of the state over democratic values and casting doubt on the sustainability of peace agreements with Arab countries.

Israeli extremist thought is clearly visible through Netanyahu's government, which includes two extremist parties: the (Religious Zionism) party, headed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, an immigrant from Ukraine, where the party calls in its platform for preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state and exerting full control over the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

The other party is the (Jewish Power) party, headed by the extremist Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is of Iraqi origin, as his grandfather immigrated from Baghdad, where he was the Chief Rabbi of the Jews in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. The party's electoral platform aims to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state and impose Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. More dangerously, the party demands accelerating the enactment of legislation to implement the death penalty against Palestinian prisoners, not to mention the herds of settlers who wreak havoc and murder in the West Bank by establishing settlements and preventing Palestinians from reaching their farms to harvest olives.

Hence, the dilemma of the Israeli mindset emerges, which remains obsessed with anxiety and fear of the future, as Israeli society tends towards extremism and the use of surplus power as repercussions of the fortress policy against which His Majesty King Abdullah II has long warned.

Finally, after about seventy-six years since its establishment, Israel still finds it difficult to be recognized as a Middle Eastern state because it is not prepared to make a real peace that is consistent with international legitimacy resolutions and the transformations witnessed by the region, ignoring—that deformed state based on surplus power—the fact that the colonial Israeli occupation is the last occupation in history.