Concerns about the integrity of Israel’s upcoming general election are growing ahead of the October 27 legislative vote, when voters will choose the next government and prime minister. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking another term.
A poll by the Israel Democracy Institute found that almost three-quarters of Jewish Israelis were concerned about risks to the 2026 election’s integrity, while 43 percent said they were optimistic about the future of democratic rule in Israel.
Warnings from Israel’s political leadership
President Isaac Herzog raised concerns about possible electoral interference and post-election violence during a televised speech in mid-July. He had met the heads of the electoral commission and Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, before calling on politicians, activists and candidates not to turn political rivals into enemies.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other politicians have also questioned the direction of the election. Herzog’s warning comes as the governing coalition continues its campaign, begun in 2021, to reduce judicial oversight, an issue that has deeply divided Israel.
Related coverage: Mecca defence pact adds pressure on Israel before its October election.
Issues shaping the campaign
Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, is seeking to defer an independent inquiry into the Hamas-led incursions of October 2023. The election is also expected to focus on international criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza, settler violence in the occupied West Bank and Israel’s conflicts involving Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iran.
Israeli Member of the Knesset Ofer Cassif told Al Jazeera that violence was already part of the country’s political landscape. He said anti-government activists, including Israelis, had been arrested and judges had been harassed by far-right pro-government militias. Cassif also warned that candidates from his Hadash Party could face attempts to bar them from the election.
Disputes over election administration
Some members of Netanyahu’s Likud Party have criticised the appointment of Dean Livne as acting head of the Central Elections Committee. MK Avichay Buaron called Livne politically biased, while Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli said the appointment cast a heavy shadow over the election’s integrity.
The governing coalition has cut the committee’s budget by 50 million New Israeli shekels, roughly $15m, despite warnings about foreign interference and artificial-intelligence risks. The government has also faced accusations of resisting wider voting access for care-home residents. Separately, accusations involving Transportation Minister Miri Regev’s office allege that limits on flights into Ben Gurion Airport before election day could hinder some overseas voters; these claims are disputed allegations, not established findings.
What happens after the vote
Cassif warned of possible efforts to suppress voting in areas with large Palestinian citizen-of-Israel populations and questioned what would happen if the governing coalition lost but refused to leave office. International IDEA’s Therese Pearce Laanela said governments have a responsibility to provide the legal framework and resources for fair elections and should not undermine or publicly criticise the electoral authority.
Political analyst Ori Goldberg said many Israelis view Netanyahu as a constant in political life and expect him to find ways to remain in power. The concerns raised by politicians, election officials and observers therefore include both the conduct of voting and the ability of institutions to manage the campaign and its aftermath.
No comments yet. Start the discussion.