Tel Aviv, Israel – November 6, 2025 – In a move that underscores his enduring grip on Israel's right-wing political landscape, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was re-elected as leader of the Likud Party on Thursday, positioning himself as the party's nominee for the legislative elections slated for October 27, 2026. The unopposed nomination, confirmed by Israeli Channel 14, took place during a routine meeting of the party's Election and Oversight Committee in Tel Aviv, bypassing the need for a contentious vote under Likud's bylaws.
According to a report from Channel 14, Netanyahu's re-election was a formality, as no other candidates submitted nominations by the deadline. "The committee unanimously confirmed Netanyahu's candidacy, reflecting the strong internal consensus within the party," the channel stated, citing sources close to the proceedings. This procedural ease highlights the 76-year-old leader's unchallenged dominance within Likud, a party he has helmed since 2005, save for a brief interlude in 2018-2019. Under Likud's internal rules, a single nomination triggers automatic endorsement, streamlining the process and avoiding the factional infighting that has occasionally plagued the party's leadership contests.
Netanyahu's political career spans decades, marked by resilience and controversy. First elected to the Knesset in 1988, he ascended to prime minister in 1996, becoming Israel's youngest leader at the time. Over the years, he has formed five governments, more than any other Israeli premier, navigating coalitions through economic booms, security crises, and diplomatic breakthroughs like the 2020 Abraham Accords. His tenure has been defined by a hawkish stance on security, particularly regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions and Palestinian statehood, which resonates deeply with Likud's base of nationalist voters. Yet, his longevity has also fueled accusations of authoritarian tendencies, with critics pointing to judicial reforms attempted in 2023 that sparked massive protests.
Thursday's decision is particularly telling given the shadow cast by Netanyahu's ongoing corruption trial, which has dogged him since 2019. The premier faces charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three separate cases, alleging he traded regulatory favors for positive media coverage and accepted lavish gifts from wealthy benefactors. In Case 1000, prosecutors claim Netanyahu and his wife received over $200,000 in cigars, champagne, and jewelry from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer. Case 2000 involves alleged negotiations with Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon Mozes for favorable coverage in exchange for legislation harming a rival newspaper. Case 4000 accuses him of pressuring telecom executives for slanted coverage on Walla News, owned by ally Shaul Elovitch.
Despite these allegations, Israeli law shields Netanyahu from forced resignation unless convicted by the Supreme Court on appeal—a high bar that could take years to clear. "The prime minister is presumed innocent until proven otherwise, and these charges have not impaired his ability to lead," Likud spokesperson Ofra Nakash said in a statement following the nomination. Netanyahu himself has decried the trial as a "witch hunt" orchestrated by left-leaning elites and media, a narrative that has galvanized his supporters. Polls from the Israel Democracy Institute in late October 2025 show Likud hovering at 28 seats in a projected 120-seat Knesset, down from its 2022 haul of 32 but still the largest bloc, bolstered by Netanyahu's personal popularity among right-wing voters.
The timing of this re-election is no coincidence. With snap elections in 2022 having returned Netanyahu to power after a 16-month hiatus, the fixed-term vote in 2026 looms as a referendum on his coalition's performance. His current government, a fragile alliance of religious Zionists, ultra-Orthodox parties, and far-right elements, holds a razor-thin majority of 64 seats. Key challenges include the protracted war in Gaza, now in its third year following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks that killed 1,200 Israelis and took 250 hostages. Over 42,000 Palestinians have died in Israel's response, per Gaza health authorities, drawing international condemnation and straining U.S. relations under President Kamala Harris's administration.
Netanyahu's leadership in the conflict has been polarizing. Supporters credit him with dismantling Hamas infrastructure and forging normalization with Saudi Arabia, while detractors, including former allies like ex-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accuse him of prolonging the war for political survival. A recent Haaretz investigation revealed internal IDF frustrations over delayed ceasefires, citing leaked memos from October 2025. Domestically, economic pressures mount: Inflation at 3.2% and a shekel weakened by 5% against the dollar have hit middle-class families hard, per Central Bureau of Statistics data. Netanyahu's budget proposals, emphasizing defense spending at 7% of GDP, have sparked labor unrest, with the Histadrut union threatening strikes.
Internationally, Netanyahu's unopposed nod signals continuity in Israel's foreign policy. At the UN General Assembly in September 2025, he reiterated demands for "total victory" over Hamas and Hezbollah, whose northern border clashes have displaced 60,000 Israelis. U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein brokered a fragile truce in November 2024, but flare-ups persist. On Iran, Netanyahu's advocacy for preemptive strikes aligns with Likud's platform, though U.S. intelligence assessments from the Director of National Intelligence's 2025 report downplay imminent nuclear threats, urging diplomacy.
Within Likud, whispers of dissent linger. Rivals like Nir Barkat, the economy minister, and shadow figures from the party's centrist wing have stayed silent, wary of fracturing the coalition. "Bibi's re-election buys time, but 2026 will test whether voters see him as a stabilizer or a liability," political analyst Dahlia Scheindlin told The Jerusalem Post. Public opinion is split: A Midgam poll for Channel 12 on November 5 showed 52% of Israelis believing Netanyahu should step aside if convicted, yet 48% view him as the strongest security candidate.
As Netanyahu eyes another term, the stakes extend beyond Israel. His potential victory could embolden settler expansions in the West Bank, where 700,000 Israelis now reside, per Peace Now monitoring. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, in a rare interview with Al Jazeera last month, warned of "escalating despair" without two-state progress. Meanwhile, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has conditioned aid on judicial independence, tying €200 million in funding to reforms Netanyahu opposes.
In sum, Thursday's events reaffirm Netanyahu's tactical prowess, transforming legal peril into electoral armor. Yet, with Gaza's ruins smoldering and indictments pending, his path to October 2026 remains fraught. As one Likud veteran quipped to Ynet News, "Bibi doesn't just survive storms—he builds arks." Whether that ark weathers the coming tempest depends on the electorate's verdict.
