Israel

Israel elects a new parliament, the Knesset, on October 27, 2026. Ten party leaders lead the lists that are polling highest. Here is where each one stands on liberty, from their own words and actions.

Who should lead Israel after this election, and why?Say what you think. Other readers can answer you.Discuss

Gadi Eisenkot
Former army chief; heads the Yashar list, running for prime minister · Yashar! (Straight)
A
Liberty Score A
100 out of 100 across 7 measures, from what Eisenkot has said and done.
23 of 120 seats, the largest list, in the Midgam poll for Channel 12 News reported on 6 October 2026.
Every line on Eisenkot, with its source
Benjamin Netanyahu
Prime minister since 2022; heads the Likud list, seeking another term · Likud
D
Liberty Score D
66 out of 100 across 9 measures, from what Netanyahu has said and done.
21 of 120 seats in the Midgam poll for Channel 12 News reported on 6 October 2026.
Every line on Netanyahu, with its source
Naftali Bennett
Former prime minister; heads the Together list with Yair Lapid · Together
C+
Liberty Score C+
78 out of 100 across 7 measures, from what Bennett has said and done.
13 of 120 seats in the Midgam poll for Channel 12 News reported on 6 October 2026.
Every line on Bennett, with its source
Yair Golan
Former deputy army chief; heads The Democrats list · The Democrats
F
Liberty Score F
57 out of 100 across 7 measures, from what Golan has said and done.
9 of 120 seats in the Midgam poll for Channel 12 News reported on 6 October 2026.
Every line on Golan, with its source
Avigdor Liberman
Knesset member, former defence minister; heads the Yisrael Beytenu list · Israel Our Home
D-
Liberty Score D-
62 out of 100 across 8 measures, from what Liberman has said and done.
9 of 120 seats in the Midgam poll for Channel 12 News reported on 6 October 2026.
Every line on Liberman, with its source
Yaakov Asher
Knesset member; heads the United Torah Judaism list since September 2026 · United Torah Judaism
F
Liberty Score F
30 out of 100 across 5 measures, from what Asher has said and done.
8 of 120 seats in the Midgam poll for Channel 12 News reported on 6 October 2026.
Every line on Asher, with its source
Yousef Jabareen
Hadash chairman, former Knesset member; heads the Joint List · Joint List (Hadash, Ta'al, Balad)
F
Liberty Score F
16 out of 100 across 6 measures, from what Jabareen has said and done.
8 of 120 seats in the Midgam poll for Channel 12 News reported on 6 October 2026.
Every line on Jabareen, with its source
Aryeh Deri
Shas chairman and Knesset member; heads the Shas list · Shas (Sephardi Torah Guardians)
F
Liberty Score F
57 out of 100 across 7 measures, from what Deri has said and done.
7 of 120 seats in the Midgam poll for Channel 12 News reported on 6 October 2026.
Every line on Deri, with its source
Itamar Ben-Gvir
National security minister; heads the Otzma Yehudit list · Jewish Power
C-
Liberty Score C-
71 out of 100 across 7 measures, from what Ben-Gvir has said and done.
7 of 120 seats in the Midgam poll for Channel 12 News reported on 6 October 2026.
Every line on Ben-Gvir, with its source
Bezalel Smotrich
Finance minister; heads the joint Religious Zionist-Zehut list · Religious Zionist Party and Zehut, joint list
F
Liberty Score F
50 out of 100 across 6 measures, from what Smotrich has said and done.
6 of 120 seats in the Midgam poll for Channel 12 News reported on 6 October 2026.
Every line on Smotrich, with its source

Every letter on this page is an outline. It is a grade from what a politician has said and done, with a source for every line, on the same scale as the rest of the site.

Read the lines before you compare two letters. Someone who has governed has a long record, and more of it cuts both ways. Someone who has not is graded on what they say they will do, and a promise is easier than a decision.

Not graded here: Ra'am (Mansour Abbas) with 5 seats and the Reservists-Economic list (Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zelekha) with 4, the two other lists that clear the threshold in the same poll.

Side by side

One line for each thing we measure. With liberty every time is an A. Against every time is an F. A record that goes both ways scores 50 out of 100, which is also an F, so the word under each name says which it is. A question mark means the record does not settle it. Tap a name to read the sources.

Ends the Islamic RepublicPressure on the regime in Tehran: sanctions, the Revolutionary Guard listed as terrorists, no deal that lets it survive.

AEisenkotwith ANetanyahuwith ABennettwith AGolanwith ALibermanwith FJabareenagainst ADeriwith ABen-Gvirwith ASmotrichwith

Stands with the Iranian peopleBacks the people of Iran against their rulers: the protesters, the prisoners, the opposition.

ANetanyahuwith ABennettwith ALibermanwith ABen-Gvirwith

Stands with the free worldBacks Ukraine against Putin and Taiwan against Beijing, and keeps the alliance with the United States.

AEisenkotwith FNetanyahuboth ways FBennettboth ways AGolanwith FLibermanagainst

A strong militaryFunds and equips the armed forces of the country.

AEisenkotwith FNetanyahuboth ways ABennettwith FGolanboth ways ALibermanwith FAsheragainst FJabareenagainst FDeriboth ways FBen-Gvirboth ways FSmotrichboth ways

Stops mass migrationSecures the border, enforces the law, and deports those who break it.

ANetanyahuwith ?Golannot clear AAsherwith ADeriwith ABen-Gvirwith

Stops the Islamization of the WestActs against the Muslim Brotherhood, against supporters of Hamas, and against religious rule.

AEisenkotwith ANetanyahuwith FBennettboth ways FGolanagainst FLibermanboth ways FJabareenagainst ADeriwith ABen-Gvirwith ASmotrichwith

Keeps religion out of lawNo religious law in government, and the same freedom for believers and non-believers.

AEisenkotwith FNetanyahuboth ways ABennettwith AGolanwith ALibermanwith FAsheragainst FDeriagainst FBen-Gviragainst FSmotrichagainst

Free marketsLower taxes, less regulation, no price controls, and no to socialism.

AEisenkotwith FNetanyahuboth ways FBennettboth ways FLibermanboth ways FAsherboth ways FJabareenboth ways FDeriboth ways ?Ben-Gvirnot clear FSmotrichboth ways

Free speechAgainst censorship, by government or at its request.

AEisenkotwith FNetanyahuagainst FGolanboth ways FLibermanagainst FAsheragainst FJabareenboth ways FDeriagainst FBen-Gvirboth ways FSmotrichagainst

Against the woke leftAgainst race and gender ideology in schools, sports, the armed forces and the state.

FGolanagainst FJabareenagainst

What Israel votes on next

Oct 272026
Knesset (parliament), 26th
Fills all 120 seats of the Knesset, the single house of parliament, which then decides who forms the government.
The whole country is one district and each voter casts one vote for a party list, not for a person. Seats are shared out by each list's share of the vote, and a list needs 3.25 percent to get any. No party has ever won a majority alone, so after the vote the president asks the leader best placed to gather 61 of the 120 members to form a coalition.
Source: The Jerusalem Post, Israel sets election date for October 27 Source: Ynetnews, Israel heads to election on October 27 after Knesset dissolves itself

Who is on this page: The head of every list given 6 seats or more in the Midgam poll for Channel 12 News reported by Israel National News on 6 October 2026, strongest first. Israel National News, Poll: Winter drifts further below electoral threshold. Ynetnews, Clock ticks down as parties still scrambling over final Knesset slates. Read on October 6, 2026. See something that is wrong or missing? Say so in the discussion.

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