On October 27, 2026, Israel is scheduled to hold legislative elections for the first time since 2022. Currently, the government (Knesset) is led by Benjamin Netenyahu and the right-wing Likud Party, who formed a coalition with religious parties and has led the country through conflicts for the past 3 years. Will Netenyahu be voted out? Here are the right-wing parties that could define the elections and their popularity according to recent polls:
Right Wing Parties
Likud - The Consolidation
Likud (The Consolidation) is a right-wing National Conservative party founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon. Currently led by highly controversial PM Benjamin Netenyahu, the party is projected to win between 26 and 34 seats, depending on the pollster. Likud has attracted criticism for its support of a strong military, free market liberalism, reduction of the historical welfare state, and most notoriously opposition to a 2 state solution since its founding. Their populist stance and appeal to religious voters and parties is also notable. Likud has been the main right-wing party in Israel since the late 1970s. In 2022, they won 32 seats in the 120 seat Knesset. The Western equivalent to Likud is the American Republican Party.
Otzma Yehudit - Jewish Power
Led by Defense Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Otzma Yehudit is without a doubt the furthest right party in Israel. They are the 3rd largest member of the government, winning 7 seats in 2022. They advocate for a complete annexation of the West Bank, a decrease in military funding, protection of Israeli settlers in the West Bank, and greater “Jewish identity” taught in schools. In 2019, Ben-Gvir controversially called for the expulsion of Arab citizens of Israel deemed unloyal to the country. Those ideas stem from his youth working and campaigning for disgraced Israeli-American politician and extremist, Meir Kahane. Critics of Otzma Yehudit claim that the party is the modern continuation of Kahane’s group, Kach. In 2022, he took back statements made in his youth advocating for the expulsion of Arabs from Israel. Otzma Yehudit is currently polling between 6 and 10 seats in the upcoming elections. The closest Western equivalent to Otzma Yehudit is a more extreme version of Germany’s AfD.
Bennett 2026
Bennett 2026 is a new political party created by former prime minister Naftali Bennett. He’s been labeled a right wing politician, with some analysts describing as as “further right than Netenyahu”, but as it stands, he plans to be a member of the opposition. His policies have drifted further left since his time in office, but they still include restoring Israeli security, rebuilding public trust, and propelling Israel as a “strong and strong and growing country in all areas of life, while integrating all citizens in sharing the security, civic, and economic burden.” He’s vague with his policies because Naftali Bennett is an opportunist. Bennett isn’t running because he thinks Likud policy is particularly bad, it’s because he thinks Netenyahu himself is the problem. Coincidentally, this is a view shared by most Israelis. The transformation of his policies based on public opinion is reminiscent of Gavin Newsom (ironically, his position on Israel), and while giving him a political label (and a Western equivalent) is difficult, his ability to capitalize on an unstable and unpopular government seems similar to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. Bennett's party is currently polling at between 15 and 21 seats.