Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday announced his plan to run for PM in next year’s elections.
In a programme on the right-wing Channel 14, when Netanyahu was asked whether he would seek
another term, he replied: “Yes”.
Anadolu Agency quoted Netanyahu as saying that he plans to move up the general elections to June 2026, instead of their scheduled date of November 3 of the same year.
Under Israeli law, the government can announce dissolution of the Knesset and call for early elections if the decision is approved by the President.
According to a recent survey by The Times of Israel, Netanyahu’s Likud party could win 34 seats. However, his opposition, new party of former prime minister Naftali Bennett, would receive just 20 seats.
Since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, Netanyahu has repeatedly been accused of prolonging the war to appease his far-right supporters.
Earlier this year, Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition survived an opposition-backed bid to dissolve parliament after ruling lawmakers reached a deal regarding the divisive mandatory military service.
According to Al Jazeera, the bill, which would have been a first step leading to an early election, was rejected by a majority of 61 lawmakers in the 120-seat Knesset while 53 supported it.
