By Fatma Younis
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies are on track to win the most seats in Tuesday's parliamentary election, though final results may not be known until Thursday. Current projections give the bloc 54 seats, short of the 61 needed for a majority in the Knesset, leaving chief rival Gadi Eisenkot without a clear path to form a government. Netanyahu, 77, could remain as caretaker prime minister if coalition talks stall.
Political longevity
Netanyahu first won the premiership in 1996, defeating Shimon Peres by just 29,457 votes. After a landslide loss to Ehud Barak in 1999, he spent a decade out of power before returning in 2009 following the Gaza war. Although Tzipi Livni's Kadima party won more seats that year, Netanyahu assembled a coalition. He survived a 2013 challenge from a Labor-Livni alliance and the rise of Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid, then beat the Zionist Union in 2015. Three inconclusive elections between 2019 and 2020 saw him tie or trail Benny Gantz, yet neither rival could form a government.
Corruption scandals
Netanyahu has been on trial for six years over three criminal cases involving bribery, fraud and breach of trust, all of which he denies. The charges include accepting luxury gifts from a Hollywood producer, trading regulatory favors for positive media coverage, and granting benefits worth around $500 million to Bezeq Telecom. Cross-examination concluded in June 2026 after 98 hearings, and the court has accelerated sessions ahead of the presiding judge's retirement. Netanyahu has also requested a pardon from President Isaac Herzog, which remains pending.
Out of office and return
In April 2020, Netanyahu formed a unity government with Gantz, rotating the premiership. He was ousted in 2021 by a disparate coalition led by Lapid and Naftali Bennett. Just 18 months later, that coalition collapsed and Netanyahu returned to power with a strong majority. His 2023 judicial overhaul plan sparked mass protests until the October 7 Hamas attacks shifted the nation to war, pausing both the reforms and his trial.
Assassination attempts
Security services said in late 2024 they had foiled an Iranian plot to assassinate Netanyahu, arresting an Israeli businessman accused of being smuggled into Iran twice. In October 2024, a drone targeted his home in Caesarea; neither he nor his wife was present. A month later, two flash bombs were fired at the same residence, again causing no injuries or damage. Netanyahu blamed Iranian proxies for the attacks.
