Netanyahu to Seek Re-Election as Polls Show Both His Coalition and Main Opposition Bloc Falling Short of Majority

Benjamin Netanyahu will seek re-election this year, his Likud Party announced on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. In a brief statement, the party said Netanyahu would run in the election and, God willing, he would win.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he was not sure if Netanyahu would stand again. ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl posted on X that Trump told him he did not know if Netanyahu would stand. "I don't know, he's had an amazing career.

" the journalist quoted Trump as saying. The election has not yet been formally announced but must be held by October 2026. It will be the first since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, the country's worst security failure, which precipitated Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu returned to power in December 2022 at the helm of the most right-wing coalition in Israeli history. He faced mass anti-government protests before the wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. Polls have repeatedly indicated that his coalition would fail to win a majority at the next election.

A poll published by the Israel Democracy Institute on June 9, 2026 said that 61% of the Israeli public believe Netanyahu should not run. However, polls also show that a potential coalition of opposition parties would fall short of a parliamentary majority unless they form a coalition with Arab parties, which some opposition leaders have ruled out.

U.S. And Israeli officials say Trump and Netanyahu, who launched the Iran war together in February 2026, still have a close relationship. The relationship has seen strain in recent weeks as Trump demanded Israel curb military action in Lebanon while Washington negotiates a peace deal with Tehran.