Israeli Political Parties Submit Candidate Lists for Knesset Elections

Israeli political parties submitted their candidate lists for the Knesset elections scheduled for October 27, ahead of the Tuesday deadline. A total of 38 candidate lists were submitted to the Central Elections Committee, which will finalize the lists on September 27 after a review process. The last parties to submit their slates included the governing Likud party, led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Religious Zionist Party, headed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The Joint List, an alliance of Arab-majority parties, also submitted its list on Tuesday. Likud’s list comprises 35 candidates, with Netanyahu at the top, followed by Energy Minister Eli Cohen, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, and Justice Minister Yariv Levin. According to polling data from Turkiye’s Andalou Agency, Yashar, the leading opposition party, is currently ahead of Likud. Surveys indicate that no single party is expected to secure a majority, making the outcome dependent on smaller parties and coalition negotiations after the election. Additionally, a poll conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute revealed that 70 percent of Jewish Israelis are concerned about the integrity of the 2026 election.