Israel elections

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a vote at the plenum hall of the Knesset, Jerusalem, July 16, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Netanyahu’s ‘total victory’ vow kept him in power. Now it may be his undoing

With the coalition trailing in the polls, it seems the severe costs and unattainable goals of Israel’s ever-expanding wars are coming back to bite.

By Meron Rapoport August 27, 2026

Thousands attend a protest against the epidemic of crime in the Palestinian community inside Israel, in Tel Aviv. January 31, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Amid genocide, Palestinian participation in Israel’s elections must be reimagined

Even if the vote cannot end settler-colonial rule, Palestinians in Israel should use their citizenship to protect their people and the conditions for resistance.

By Areej Sabbagh-Khoury August 12, 2026

Activists protest in Tel Aviv demanding an end to the war in Gaza, August 23, 2025. (Erik Marmor/Flash90)

To confront Israeli fascism, we need a new Jewish-Arab party

I have seen firsthand the limitations of existing Arab parties. If we want to bring about real change in this land, an entirely new political model is required.

By Basheer Karkabi February 11, 2026

Latest

A woman casts her ballot in the Knesset elections at a voting station in Jerusalem, on March 2, 2020. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

‘I don’t know her’: How Israeli elections disregard women voters

By ignoring women's policy preferences, Israeli parties are not just deepening gender inequality — they're shifting the country further right.

By Noa Balf January 11, 2021

Joint Lost leader Ayman Odeh on the campaign trail (photo: Courtesy)

How the Joint List has already made history in Israel

No matter what happens on election day, or what kind of coalition is formed afterwards, the Joint List’s very existence has already changed the face of Israeli history. The fact that the Joint List is likely to be the third largest slate in the next Knesset means they cannot be ignored. All the Israeli papers,…

By Mairav Zonszein March 15, 2015

Prime Minister Levy Eshkol (left) and Min. Yigal Allon (second from left) in the Negev, May 25, 1967. (Photo: GPO)

The violent roots of Israel’s Labor party

The Labor party’s glory days included the Nakba, conquering and settling the West Bank and East Jerusalem and other affairs Israeli society has yet to begin processing. By Tom Pessah Senior Labor MK Shelly Yachimovich published the following status on her personal Facebook page a few weeks ago: “Hi this is Shelly. Spot the differences: education…

By +972 Magazine March 9, 2015

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands in front of a portrait of Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

Netanyahu is not Ben-Gurion, and 2015 is not 1948

The Israeli prime minister is not using his Congress speech to gain votes in this election, rather, he is using his election campaign to gain favor for the Congress speech and serve his megalomaniac vision of being the savior of Jews worldwide. Netanyahu’s recent campaign video, released Saturday night, has nothing to do with the…

By Mairav Zonszein February 22, 2015

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo by Activestills.org)

The threat of hope and truth in elections devoid of both

Proponents of a strong democracy should welcome young citizens sounding their voices. But a prime minister who builds his campaign on fear mongering clearly feels threatened by anyone grouping together the words ‘hope,’ ‘truth’ and ‘politics.’ By Don Futterman There is nothing Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Likud party finds so threatening as hope and truth. While…

By +972 Magazine February 18, 2015

MK Jamal Zahalka (Balad) marches along with thousands of people march through Jerusalem in support and solidarity with the Max Rayne “Hand in Hand” bilingual school, which was the target of a racist arson attack a week earlier, Jerusalem, December 5, 2014. (Photo by Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)

‘A Palestinian state isn’t the solution, but it’s a step in the right direction’: Meet MK Jamal Zahalka

Chairman of the Balad party says that unification of Israel’s Arab parties is nothing short of historic — both in Israel and the Arab world: ‘There has never been unity between the communists, nationalists and Islamists.’ In an interview, Zahalka talks about his party’s appeal to Jewish voters, why the Joint List won’t join an…

By Orly Noy February 5, 2015

Construction of illegal settlement units at 'Elkana,' on the lands of the West Bank village of Masha, near Salfit, July 06, 2013. (Photo: Ahmad Al-Bazz/Activestills.org)

The Israeli government’s election gift to West Bank settlers

Netanyahu tells supporters at a settlement campaign event that Israel will continue to build in the West Bank, as his Likud party competes with more hawkish parties for settler votes. Erekat calls for boycott, divestment in response. Less than a month and a half before general elections, the Israeli government published tenders for 430 new…

By Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man January 30, 2015

May Day demonstration, May 1, 2013, Tel Aviv. (Photo by Shiraz Grinbaum/Activestills.org)

Should a joint Arab list trump Jewish-Arab unity? Not so fast

The temptation of the Arab parties to unite in order to form a stronger political bloc is great. Everyone wants to give Liberman the election surprise of a lifetime. But what is the cost? By Sinai Peter Israel’s upcoming elections came out of nowhere. Despite the early warnings and the raising of the electoral threshold…

By +972 Magazine January 14, 2015

Screenshot from Danny Danon's anti-Zoabi campaign video.

WATCH: Rightists campaign on hate, incitement and arrogance

Two different election campaign videos released by major right-wing candidates have one major thing in common: they are very clear about what and who they are against, yet indicate next to nothing about what they stand for. In a highly incendiary video, Likud Knesset member Danny Danon, who was fired from his position as deputy defense…

By Mairav Zonszein December 25, 2014

Elections called off; Kadima joins huge Netanyahu coalition

With 94 out of the Knesset’s 120 members behind him, the prime minister might have enough political support to launch war with Iran despite the opposition within the security establishment. This was the shortest election cycle in history: On Sunday, Likud brought to a Knesset vote a bill moving elections up to September 4, officially…

By Noam Sheizaf May 7, 2012