On October 27, Israelis will head to the polls to vote in what is arguably the most important election in the country’s history.
In our series of explainers, we lay out the runners and riders vying to lead the country, the parties in contention and how Israel’s election process works.
Here’s what you need to know about the incumbent Likud party.
Core position and current power
Likud, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, is Israel’s largest single political party, which had 32 out of 120 seats when the Knesset was dissolved in July ahead of the election on 27 October.
Since the withdrawal of the Charedi parties – Shas (11 seats) and United Torah Judaism (7 seats) – in July 2025, over the issue of military‑service exemptions, it led a fragile, minority coalition government.
It relied on support from Itamar Ben‑Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power), Bezalel Smotrich’s HaTziyonut HaDatit (Religious Zionism) and Gideon Sa’ar’s Tikva Hadasha (New Hope).
That left the coalition with a total of 49 seats, well below an overall majority of 61, but it survived because the opposition did not manage to pass a no‑confidence motion.
Likud is Israel’s principal centre‑right to right‑wing party, with a nationalist agenda supporting Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people, and representing a secular‑to‑religiously traditional constituency. It has particularly strong support among Mizrahi and Sephardi Jews, among working‑ and lower‑middle‑income voters, and among older people.
It has been in power for approximately 31 of the past 49 years, making it the dominant force in modern Israeli politics.
Chances of forming the next government?
Even if Likud wins the most seats, that is no guarantee that it will form the next government. No Israeli party has ever won an outright majority in the Knesset, so Netanyahu would need to rebuild a viable coalition of at least 61 members, most likely by reuniting the right‑wing and Haredi bloc. A less likely alternative would be to reach an agreement with newer or smaller parties such as Zionist Home – The Reservists.
The strongest alternative currently appears to be the centrist Yashar party, led by former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, although polling remains volatile and has recently shown Likud and Yashar trading the lead. Naftali Bennett, who heads B'Yachad, is also more than capable of producing a surprise: in 2021, he became prime minister even though his Yamina party won only seven seats and finished joint fifth, highlighting the unpredictability of Israeli coalition politics.
Many of Netanyahu’s main rivals – Bennett, Lapid, Lieberman, Eisenkot and Yair Golan – have vowed never to sit with him. But in Israel a pre‑election promise is only a promise.
Elections in Israel are only the starting point. They are followed by weeks or even months of political bargaining over the prime ministership, ministerial portfolios and policy agreements. Eventually a coalition may emerge, or, if no leader can assemble one, Israel may have to hold another election.
The modern Likud party was formed in 1973 as an alliance of several right‑wing and liberal factions, including Herut (right‑wing political successor to the Irgun) and the Liberal Party. Its breakthrough came in 1977, when Menachem Begin, fighting his eighth election, finally led the party to victory as Israel’s first non‑Labour government in what became known as the mahapakh (upheaval).
The party has experienced major leadership changes, internal splits (including Ariel Sharon’s departure to form Kadima, the now‑defunct centrist party, in 2005), and Netanyahu’s repeated returns to power.
Who leads the party?
Likud is led by Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu, aged 76, Israel’s longest‑serving prime minister, a former finance minister and security hardliner who has dominated Israeli politics for most of the past two decades. He is Israel’s answer to Marmite. Critics loathe him. They regard him as a divisive figure, whose political survival instincts have outweighed broader national interests such as ending the war in Gaza or getting the hostages released. Supporters love him. They see him as a (fluent English‑speaking) statesman on the world stage who can defend Israel’s position abroad and out‑manoeuvre his political opponents at home.
Core positions on key voter issues
- National security
Likud argues that Israel’s security depends on maintaining military superiority. It opposes a two‑state solution or the withdrawal of Jewish settlements from large parts of the West Bank.
It has resisted calls for a fully independent, judge‑led commission of inquiry into the security failures that led to 7 October.
It frames the war in Gaza and broader confrontations with Hamas and Iran as justification for a hard line and for keeping security considerations above other policy questions. Likud supports a demilitarised Gaza, governed by a non‑Hamas civilian authority, with Israel retaining overall security responsibility.
- Charedi military conscription
Likud, as a largely secular party, has long resisted calls to draft Charedi yeshiva students to the IDF, which is arguably the most contentious issue in the election. The Charedi parties withdrew from the coalition last year in protest, after Netanyahu failed to enact legislation that would have formalised exemptions from military service. Nevertheless, Netanyahu recognises that he would almost certainly need their support to form any future government.
- Future of Israel’s democratic institutions
Likud supports proposals for judicial reforms that provoked some of the biggest demonstrations in Israel’s history.
They seek to limit the Supreme Court’s power to strike down legislation passed by the Knesset. The Supreme Court functions in some respects as a de facto unelected institutional check on the Knesset, which is dominated by judges whom Likud claims are liberal and left‑wing.
- Cost of living and economic pressures
In terms of the economy, Likud is a close relative of the Conservatives in Britain. It is a pro‑market party that favours lower taxes, greater foreign investment and reduced regulation.
Likud acknowledges the high cost of food, housing, utilities and childcare as major voter concerns. Critics argue that despite repeated promises, it has failed to properly address them.
- Balance between religion and state
Despite its secular roots, Likud has accommodated religious positions on public observance of Shabbat (buses and trains running, shops and cinemas opening, etc.), kashrut, marriage and divorce, and the political role of rabbinic authorities, in order to keep the Haredi parties on‑side.
To get more Israel news, click here to sign up for our free Israel Briefing newsletter.