Close Read

Noam's website says a new teacher in Israel should earn no less than 12,000 shekels, and no class should have more than 22 students.

Noam L'Yisrael, led by Avi Maoz and on the ballot as ני, has not published a full platform for the October 27 election. What it has published is a campaign website with short platform sections on the justice system, education, and Jewish identity, a separate education reform page, and a page for activists with "8 points to think about," phrased as questions the party answers with its own name.

This episode walks through all of it by topic: a 12,000 shekel minimum salary for starting teachers, a 22 student class cap, ending school registration zones, an override clause and splitting the attorney general's role, Shabbat and religious legislation, and the topics where I couldn't find a published position.

This is part of a Close Read series for English speaking voters on the published policies of every party running in Israel's October 27, 2026 Knesset election. I only use what each party has made public. If a party didn't publish it, it isn't in the episode.

Transcript, chapters and every source: https://closeread.show/israel-2026/noam/
Watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaBgkg1SlDc
Close Read is free and listener supported. Support it on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheCloseRead

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 0:41 Who they are
• 0:59 What they've published
• 1:56 Security and foreign policy
• 2:19 October 7, Economy: no stated position
• 2:37 Housing
• 3:43 Judiciary and governance
• 4:15 Health
• 5:52 Welfare, Arab citizens
• 6:04 Immigration, Environment: no stated position
• 6:19 What they put front and center
• 6:53 What's missing

Sources (most in Hebrew)

• S1 "נעם לישראל: בראשות אבי מעוז: חופשי להיות יהודי" (home page with three platform blocks: justice system, education, Jewish identity; plus "why we were founded" section)
• S2 "רפורמת החינוך" (Education reform)
• S3 "בואו, משנים את המדינה שלנו בדרכי נעם" (FAQ for activists plus "8 points to think about")
• S4 X profile @noamparty, bio and five most recent posts visible logged out
• S5 X profile @AVI_MAOZ, bio ("the next Minister of Education") and five most recent posts
• S6 Srugim studio interview with Avi Maoz, "אבי מעוז בראיון: זה מספר המנדטים שאני שווה". Only text in quotation marks is used as Maoz's words.
• S7 "אודות מפלגת נעם" on noam.org.il, written during the 25th Knesset. The live URL now redirects to noamlisrael.org.il, so only the Wayback copy exists. Used for context only.
• S8 Ynet and Davar lists of all 38 approved ballot letters, both giving "ני: נעם לישראל למען עתיד הילדים בראשות אבי מעוז". Used only for the ballot letters and list name, never for a position.
• S9 Central Elections Committee index of all 38 lists for the 26th Knesset with ballot letters; this party's row gives the letters ני. The page header still carries the standard note that lists are as submitted, but the index includes the committee's September 23 exclusion decisions, so it postdates the review. Used for ballot letters only. Copied on 2026-10-01 from the Joint List folder's saved copy
• S10 "דבריו הקדושים של הרבי מגיעים לכנסת" (page addressed to Chabad voters: Torah world and draft, who is a Jew, the Land of Israel, education). Not linked from the site menu.

United Torah Judaism has no written platform for this election. What it has published is a short slogan on a campaign ad, "The right to be Haredi," next to the letter Gimel.

United Torah Judaism, running under the letter Gimel and headed by Yaakov Asher, has not published a written platform or a website for the October 27 election. What it has published is a campaign ad with the slogan "The right to be Haredi," and a campaign launch announced on the front page of Yated Ne'eman, the daily affiliated with Degel HaTorah, listing three focus areas: the status of Torah students, the Jewish character of the state, and the cost of living and housing.

This episode walks through those materials, then fills in detail from two public video interviews Yaakov Asher gave in August and September 2026, before he became head of the list: his views on a draft law for yeshiva students, housing and planning regulation, and a Basic Law on the Declaration of Independence. It also lists the topics where I couldn't find any published position.

This is part of a Close Read series for English speaking voters on the published policies of every party running in Israel's October 27, 2026 Knesset election. I only use what each party has made public. If a party didn't publish it, it isn't in the episode.

Transcript, chapters and every source: https://closeread.show/israel-2026/united-torah-judaism/
Watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkVMZmFcLyk
Close Read is free and listener supported. Support it on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheCloseRead

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 0:17 About this series
• 0:44 Who they are
• 1:04 What they've published
• 2:15 Security and foreign policy
• 2:27 October 7, Economy
• 3:02 Housing
• 3:45 Religion and state
• 4:40 Judiciary and governance
• 5:42 Education, Environment: no stated position
• 5:54 What they put front and center
• 6:10 What's missing

Sources (most in Hebrew)

• S1 Central Elections Committee, "רשימות המועמדים לכנסת" (index of all lists submitted for the 26th Knesset, with ballot letters)
• S2 CEC page for list ג, "יהדות התורה והשבת אגודת ישראל - דגל התורה": submitting parties, full 120-name list, ballot slip image
• S3 Campaign ad "הזכות להיות חרדי!" with the ג ballot slip, printed on the front page of Yated Ne'eman, 2026-09-25. Image obtained from the7eye.org.il's reproduction of the front page
• S4 Yated Ne'eman (Degel HaTorah's daily) front page, 2026-09-25: "הושק קמפיין הבחירות של 'יהדות התורה'" with the campaign's stated focus areas. Same image as S3
• S5 Yaakov Asher interviewed by Yuval Karni and Shilo Freid, "Zman Hachra'a: Democracy and Society" conference (Yedioth Ahronoth group with the Israel Democracy Institute), posted by IDI. Recorded before he became list leader
• S6 Yaakov Asher on "HaMachlitim," Nadlan Media's political and real-estate podcast, host Atila Shumfalvi. Recorded before he became list leader
• S7 יהדות התורה (verified party page): intro text; latest visible posts from November 2022
• S8 @YahdutAtora ("the official Twitter account of the United Torah Judaism party"); latest visible posts from April 2024

HaKahal proposes an independent Haredi service framework with the authority to take a soldier out of the army, even if the army objects, when his religious conditions are breached. That is part of its written draft proposal.

This episode reads HaKahal's public platform booklet, including its independent Haredi service framework, school-admissions appeals, housing administration, and Council of the Community. It distinguishes internal party commitments from government policies and records the topics absent from the reviewed public sources.

This is part of a Close Read series for English speaking voters on the published policies of every party running in Israel's October 27, 2026 Knesset election. I only use what each party has made public. If a party didn't publish it, it isn't in the episode. Research cutoff: September 30, 2026. Unreviewed video speech and inaccessible social posts are outside this episode's source base.

Transcript, chapters and every source: https://closeread.show/israel-2026/hakahal/
Watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeVKIp3Tqj0
Close Read is free and listener supported. Support it on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheCloseRead

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 0:20 About this series
• 0:47 Who they are
• 0:58 What they've published
• 9:04 Security, October 7
• 9:20 Environment, energy, and transportation
• 9:36 What they put front and center
• 10:40 What's missing

Sources (most in Hebrew)

• S1 Central Elections Committee page for list 36: "הקהל - מפלגה כלל חרדית שנציגיה נבחרים על ידי הציבור בראשות הרב שלמה אלבוים", submitted by מפלגת מחנה ישראל, letters רץ, 8 candidates
• S2 "איכא דרכא אחרינא / אחריות ללא פשרות", 16-page platform booklet
• S3 "המצע: אחריות ללא פשרות", web version of the S2 booklet (same text; used for clean quotations)
• S4 Home page: primaries results, Council of the Community, "how it works", FAQ, "what is the situation today"
• S5 Protocol of Council meeting no. 3 (י"ב סיון תשפ"ו)
• S6 Protocol of Council meeting no. 4 (כ"ה סיון תשפ"ו)
• S7 X account @Hkahal26, four most recent posts (2026-09-05 to 2026-09-23)
• S8 YouTube channel "מפלגת הקהל": image film, conference, and three Albaum interviews (not transcribed; no content used)
• S9 CEC ballot slip image and PDF for רץ

The Joint List says it would cap rent at 20 percent of a family's net income and drop the interest on mortgages for first-time buyers. That's one line from one of the two plans they've put in writing, and today I'm going through both.

The Joint List (Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad, led by Yousef Jabareen) has published two documents on its website for this election: a ten-point socio-economic plan and a seven-point plan against organized crime in Arab society. Both are in Arabic and Hebrew, with English and Russian versions.

This episode walks through both plans topic by topic, including their positions on military spending, tariffs, taxes, housing, education, long-term care, the minimum wage, National Insurance, and policing, and notes the topics where I couldn't find a published position. The list revised its economic plan in early October, and the episode quotes the current version. The Central Elections Committee decided to bar the list on September 24; on October 2 the Supreme Court accepted its appeal, and the list is on the ballot.

This is part of a Close Read series for English speaking voters on the published policies of every party running in Israel's October 27, 2026 Knesset election. I only use what each party has made public. If a party didn't publish it, it isn't in the episode.

Transcript, chapters and every source: https://closeread.show/israel-2026/joint-list/
Watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gvn_pye_6RY
Close Read is free and listener supported. Support it on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheCloseRead

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 0:19 About this series
• 0:48 Who they are
• 1:37 What they've published
• 2:19 Security and foreign policy
• 3:28 October 7, Economy
• 4:35 Housing
• 8:48 Religion and state
• 9:26 Immigration, absorption, and diaspora

Sources (most in Hebrew)

• S1 Central Elections Committee, 26th Knesset, list 35 "הרשימה המשותפת", ballot letters ודם, full 108-name list with each candidate's registered party, and the CEC decision notes
• S2 Central Elections Committee, index of all 38 lists for the 26th Knesset with ballot letters and status notes
• S3 jointlist.org.il home page: name in Hebrew, Arabic, English, Russian; slogan "יש אפשרות אחרת"; the three component parties
• S4 "התוכנית הכלכלית-חברתית" / "البرنامج الاقتصادي-الاجتماعي" (The socio-economic plan), 10 numbered sections, listed under the site's "מצע" (platform) menu. The /he/ and /ar/ pages carry identical bilingual Arabic + Hebrew text; the /en/ page is English + Russian
• S5 "התכנית למיגור הפשיעה המאורגנת" / "خطة القضاء على الجريمة المنظمة" (The plan to eradicate organized crime): introduction, 7 numbered sections, summary. Same language arrangement as S4
• S6 "המועמדים": top of the list with each candidate's party and a one-line bio
• S7 hadash.org.il, section "העקרונות שלנו / مبادئنا" (Our principles): 8 one-line principles. Standing party principles, not a 26th Knesset platform, and published by Hadash alone, not by the Joint List
• S8 List 35 page, updated 04.10.2026: "ב-24 בספטמבר 2026 החליטה ועדת הבחירות המרכזית כי הרשימה מנועה מלהשתתף בבחירות לכנסת ה-26 [...] ב-2 באוקטובר 2026 קיבל בית המשפט העליון את הערעור, ביטל את החלטת הוועדה, וקבע כי הרשימה רשאית להשתתף בבחירות לכנסת ה-26." Also: the court declined to approve Ofer Cassif's disqualification; Sami Abu Shehadeh (no. 3) resigned on 2.10.2026, so no ruling on him was needed; the updated candidate order
• S9 Ynet (two reports), Walla, Jerusalem Post, 2026-10-02: nine-justice panel; unanimous on the list; 7 to 2 on Cassif; Abu Shehadeh withdrew after the justices indicated a majority would uphold his disqualification; Balad remains in the list. Used only for facts S8 does not state

Tekuma has no written platform that I could find. Its leader, Elkana Federman, has laid out his positions in short videos instead: disability ratings for Nova survivors and combat-trauma victims, immunity for soldiers, prison for those responsible for October 7, and dismantling the Palestinian Authority.

Tekuma (תקומה), ballot letter ק, registered as Derech Hazon VeTekuma and led by Elkana Federman, has no written platform that I could find. This episode goes through what Federman says in the party's and his own videos and in a Channel 14 interview: 50% disability ratings for Nova survivors and combat-trauma victims, an immunity law for soldiers, prison for those responsible for October 7, dismantling the Oslo Accords and the Palestinian Authority, and how he says the ratings would be paid for. It walks the same thirteen topics as every episode. This is a new party, not the older Tekuma or the separate Tekuma movement.

This is part of a Close Read series for English speaking voters on the published policies of every party running in Israel's October 27, 2026 Knesset election. I only use what each party has made public. If a party didn't publish it, it isn't in the episode. Research cutoff: October 2, 2026. Video quotes come from machine transcripts of the Hebrew audio.

Transcript, chapters and every source: https://closeread.show/israel-2026/redemption/
Watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZgwhYh6OzQ
Close Read is free and listener supported. Support it on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheCloseRead

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 0:26 About this series
• 0:54 Who they are
• 1:17 What they've published
• 1:43 Security and foreign policy
• 2:18 October 7 accountability
• 2:58 Economy and cost of living
• 3:13 Housing, Religion and state: no stated position
• 3:32 Judiciary and governance
• 3:58 Education
• 4:15 Health
• 5:07 Social welfare, pensions, and the elderly
• 5:20 Arab citizens and minorities
• 5:58 Immigration, Environment: no stated position
• 6:10 What they put front and center

Sources (most in Hebrew)

• S1 CEC page "מפלגת דרך חזון ותקומה", list submitted on behalf of "מפלגת תקומה"; 13 candidates, Elkana Federman first; slip prints ק, "תקומה", ق, "تكوما"
• S2 Ynet: the CEC approved 38 lists and letters, including ק for תקומה. Used only to confirm approval
• S3 Registered name "דרך חזון ותקומה", subtitle "מנהיגות אחראית לביטחון לאומי וחוסן אזרחי", no. 59-900220-1, registered 2026, care of Elkana Federman. Its registration goals are not used as campaign positions
• S4 Launch caption: "אני מקים את מפלגת 'תקומה'"; leadership by fighters and workers; restoring security
• S5 "אלקנא פדרמן, קב"ט הנובה שהקים את מפלגת 'תקומה'": prevent the next October 7, dismantle the Oslo Accords and the Palestinian Authority, care for reservist students (4 min 29 s)
• S6 Israel Hayom on the party's registration; Federman quoted on responsibility and accountability. The reporter's summary of the party's aims is not counted
• S7 Launch video: "a real war in all sectors", care for combat-trauma victims without committees, immunity law, Nova survivors, education, economy and cutting bureaucracy (2 min 32 s)
• S8 Federman's three issues: 50% or more disability for combat-trauma victims and Nova survivors, funded from transfers to the Palestinian Authority; immunity law; prison for those responsible for October 7 (2 min 34 s)
• S9 Nova survivors: automatic 50% disability rating for ten to twenty years, without committees (1 min 31 s)
• S10 Combat-trauma victims: a 50% disability package without committees, reviewed after ten to twenty years; "תפסיקו לתת את הכסף הזה לערבים" (1 min 23 s)
• S11 "לצאת למלחמה רחבת היקף ולנקות את הטרור אחת ולתמיד" (55 s)
• S12 Addressed to former Shin Bet head Ronen Bar: investigation, trial and life in prison (1 min 5 s)
• S13 "אני אחוקק חוק חסינות לחיילי צה"ל בזמן פעילות מבצעית" (40 s)
• S14 Arutz 7 on "תנועת תקומה", chaired by Berale Crombie, a separate organization. Nothing in it is attributed to this list
• S15 Every query, account and retrieval attempt, 2026-09-30 and 2026-10-02

Tzomet Beit Israel's components publish service-linked housing proposals: a free plot in Tzomet's platform, and a state-backed mortgage guarantee in Beit Israel's housing chapter. They also publish different service models, so this episode keeps the component attribution visible.

This episode reads the two components' public platforms: Tzomet's signed 2026 document and Beit Israel's detailed website chapters. It covers service obligations, housing guarantees and land allocations, pension eligibility, reservist-family support, law enforcement, and infrastructure. Proposals are attributed to their component because no unified document reconciling the differences was found in the reviewed material.

This is part of a Close Read series for English speaking voters on the published policies of every party running in Israel's October 27, 2026 Knesset election. I only use what each party has made public. If a party didn't publish it, it isn't in the episode. Research cutoff: September 30, 2026. Unreviewed video speech and inaccessible social posts are outside this episode's source base.

Transcript, chapters and every source: https://closeread.show/israel-2026/beit-israel-junction/
Watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7ln-FcsGww
Close Read is free and listener supported. Support it on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheCloseRead

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 0:28 About this series
• 0:52 Who they are
• 1:05 What they've published
• 11:58 Security and foreign policy
• 12:25 Immigration, absorption, and diaspora
• 12:57 Environment, energy, and transportation
• 14:16 What's missing

Sources (most in Hebrew)

• S1 CEC joint list, letters בי, Yevarkan first and Green second
• S2 Tzomet signed 2026 platform, four pages; visually checked
• S3 Beit Israel service obligations, compensation, sanctions and Torah-study track
• S4 Beit Israel housing guarantees and communities
• S5 Beit Israel immigration chapter
• S6 Beit Israel pension chapter including eligibility and funding
• S7 Beit Israel personal security and criminal justice
• S8 Beit Israel settlement, sovereignty and infrastructure chapter
• S9 Tzomet about page: agriculture and identity
• S10 Beit Israel leader page: Gadi Yevarkan identity
• S11 Social-review limits and linked accounts
• S12 Continuation checks and PDF verification

Achi proposes a 1,000-day teacher-training program and limits on social-worker caseloads. Those are two of the concrete commitments in its seven website pillars.

This episode reads the Achi Movement's seven published website pillars, including teacher training, daycare caregivers' pay, social-worker caseloads, and direct community election of rabbis. It also covers the party's stated position against territorial concessions and records the topics the reviewed material does not address.

This is part of a Close Read series for English speaking voters on the published policies of every party running in Israel's October 27, 2026 Knesset election. I only use what each party has made public. If a party didn't publish it, it isn't in the episode. Research cutoff: September 30, 2026. Unreviewed video speech and inaccessible social posts are outside this episode's source base.

Transcript, chapters and every source: https://closeread.show/israel-2026/achim-movement/
Watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLkL3gniQig
Close Read is free and listener supported. Support it on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheCloseRead

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 0:18 About this series
• 0:45 Who they are
• 0:59 What they've published
• 1:25 Security and foreign policy
• 2:27 October 7 accountability
• 3:39 Economy and cost of living
• 5:10 Housing
• 5:46 Health
• 5:58 Environment, Front and center
• 6:19 What's missing

Sources (most in Hebrew)

• S1 CEC list, letters צבי, Yuval Elmalech first
• S2 Official website, seven policy pillars
• S3 Party blog, campaign and religious-event entries
• S4 Party social captions, partial logged-out review
• S5 Continuation primary-page check

This list is two parties sharing one ballot, and they never wrote a joint platform. Zehut's platform says the first law it would pass renames the country "Israel: the State of the Jewish People." Religious Zionism's judicial plan, released September 15, would end the state's right to appeal a criminal acquittal.

Religious Zionism (led by Bezalel Smotrich) and Zehut (led by Moshe Feiglin) are running together on one list in Israel's 2026 election, but they did not publish a joint platform. Zehut has a 2026 platform with a 24-page summary and a chapter overview on its website. Religious Zionism has published three plans: a judicial plan, a Negev and Galilee plan, and a reservists plan.

This episode walks through both sets of documents topic by topic: security and foreign policy, the economy, housing, religion and state, the courts, education, health, welfare, Arab citizens, immigration, and energy. For every position I say which party published it, and where the two documents differ, I show both.

This is part of a Close Read series for English speaking voters on the published policies of every party running in Israel's October 27, 2026 Knesset election. I only use what each party has made public. If a party didn't publish it, it isn't in the episode.

Transcript, chapters and every source: https://closeread.show/israel-2026/religious-zionism-zehut/
Watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYRJEEvGWsM
Close Read is free and listener supported. Support it on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheCloseRead

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 0:24 About this series
• 0:55 Who they are
• 1:05 What they've published
• 2:43 Security and foreign policy
• 5:14 October 7, Economy
• 6:13 Housing
• 7:00 Religion and state
• 8:21 Judiciary and governance
• 12:56 Immigration, absorption, and diaspora
• 13:12 Environment, energy, and transportation
• 13:42 What they put front and center
• 14:12 What's missing

Sources (most in Hebrew)

• S1 "תקציר מצע מפלגת זהות: מחזירים את המדינה לעם. ישראל, הוראות הפעלה" (summary of the Zehut platform, 2026 edition, seven "gates")
• S2 "תקציר המצע" page, same text as S1 in HTML
• S3 "המצע המלא של זהות": chapter-by-chapter overview of the full platform plus Q&A sections (general, society and minorities, law and democracy, foreign relations and diaspora)
• S4 "המצע של זהות: קווי ההכרעה", four-pillar overview
• S5 Other zehut.org.il pages: home, about / the-way, FAQ, compass quiz, candidates, and four pillar pages (economy, security, governance, education)
• S6 "משחררים את החסימה: תכנית הציונות הדתית להמשך תיקון מערכת המשפט" (judicial plan), branded הציונות הדתית / "כן. סמוטריץ'."
• S7 "מייהדים את הנגב והגליל" (Negev and Galilee plan), linked in site menu as "תוכנית נגב גליל"
• S8 "תוכנית מילואימניקים הביתה" (reservists plan), linked in site menu as "תוכנית המילואימניקים"
• S9 Party home page, menu of three 2026 plans (Negev-Galilee, reservists, judicial; the judicial link is a dead "#"), achievements link, settlement tour
• S10 English "Party platform" page with 12 program PDFs, all uploaded October 2022 for the 25th Knesset election
• S11 Joint statement, Smotrich and Feiglin, announcing the joint run
• S12 Moshe Feiglin official Telegram, posts 4252 to 4271 (Sept 23 to 30, 2026)
• S13 Central Elections Committee index of all 38 lists for the 26th Knesset with ballot letters; this party's row gives the letters ט. The page header still carries the standard note that lists are as submitted, but the index includes the committee's September 23 exclusion decisions, so it postdates the review. Used for ballot letters only. Copied on 2026-10-01 from the Joint List folder's saved copy
• S14 "משחררים את החסימה: תכנית רוטמן להמשך תיקון מערכת המשפט" (web version of the S6 judicial plan, now linked from the site menu as "תוכנית המשפט"; same seven sections and next-Knesset items as the PDF)

Blue and White's security plan says Israel should fix defense spending at no less than 100 billion shekels for the next ten years, and it sets 2028 as the deadline for removing what it calls the Iranian existential threat. That's one of about ten documents this party has put online, so let's go through them.

Blue and White, led by Benny Gantz and running on the ballot letters כן, has no single platform document for this election. Instead its website links a set of plans published between July 2025 and September 2026: a principles brochure, a 28-page security strategy, a plan on the courts and the system of government, an education plan, and shorter plans on national service, reservists, the civil service, mental health, and the north.

This episode walks through what those documents say on security, October 7 accountability, the economy, housing, religion and state, the judiciary, education, health, welfare, Arab citizens, the diaspora, and the environment, and names the topics where I couldn't find a published position.

This is part of a Close Read series for English speaking voters on the published policies of every party running in Israel's October 27, 2026 Knesset election. I only use what each party has made public. If a party didn't publish it, it isn't in the episode.

Transcript, chapters and every source: https://closeread.show/israel-2026/blue-and-white/
Watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUDp9PNtxwo
Close Read is free and listener supported. Support it on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheCloseRead

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 0:26 About this series
• 0:55 Who they are
• 1:13 What they've published
• 2:13 Security and foreign policy
• 5:07 October 7 accountability
• 5:30 Economy and cost of living
• 6:10 Housing
• 7:51 Judiciary and governance
• 9:15 Education
• 9:59 Health
• 10:30 Social welfare, pensions, and the elderly
• 10:55 Arab citizens and minorities
• 11:21 Immigration, absorption, and diaspora
• 11:50 Environment, energy, and transportation
• 12:40 What's missing

Sources (most in Hebrew)

• S1 Central Elections Committee page "כחול לבן בראשות בני גנץ": ballot letters כן, submitting party "כחול לבן חוסן לישראל", full candidate list, ballot image PDF
• S2 kachollavan.org.il home page, including the "החזון שלנו" (Our vision) menu that links every plan below
• S3 "עקרונות כחול לבן" (Blue and White principles), six sections, ballot letters כן printed on it
• S4 "ישראל מתעצמת: אסטרטגיית הביטחון החדשה של ישראל" (Israel Grows Stronger: Israel's new security strategy), signed by Benny Gantz, October 2025; posted on the news page 2025-11-16
• S5 "תכנית ממשלית, חוקתית בהסכמה" / file name "רפורמה משפטית בהסכמה כחול לבן" (Governmental and constitutional plan by consensus)
• S6 "תכנית חינוך כחול לבן" (Blue and White education plan), linked from the site menu as "חינוך כחול לבן"
• S7 "תוכנית החינוך" 14 points, signed Gantz and Hili Tropper; post "תוכנית חינוך כחול לבן (4.12.25)" with a 7-point summary and Gantz's remarks at the Manor Center conference
• S8 "מציאות אחרת: תכנית המילואימניקים של כחול לבן" (A different reality: Blue and White's reservists plan)
• S9 "מתווה שירות ישראלי" (Israeli Service Outline), sherut4all.com, footer "כל הזכויות שמורות. כחול לבן 2025", linked from the party menu
• S10 "צו 8 לתיקון השירות הציבורי בישראל: תוכנית 8 הנקודות" (Call-up Order 8 to fix Israel's public service: the 8-point plan)
• S11 "מנצחים יחד: תוכנית רשת ביטחון נפשית לכל אזרח" (Winning together: a mental safety net for every citizen), site menu "תוכנית חוסן"
• S12 "עולים צפונה: התוכנית לשיקום, חיזוק ופיתוח הגליל וקריית שמונה" (Going north: plan for the Galilee and Kiryat Shmona)
• S13 "בסמכות וברשות: מהממשלה לרשות" first principles for strengthening local government (published under the name המחנה הממלכתי, the party's name at the time)
• S14 Gantz's "חוסן לישראל" speech at the Eli Hurvitz conference, published on the party site
• S15 Gantz's remarks at the Blue and White faction meeting, 17.11.25 (state commission of inquiry; US arms sales and Israel's qualitative edge)
• S16 Leader's X account @gantzbe, posts of 2026-09-28 and 2026-09-29
• S17 "Gantz writes in JTA: We need to take seriously the erosion of US support for Israel", byline Benny Gantz, chairman of Blue & White
• S18 Gantz speech at the IDI Eli Hurvitz Conference, 3.6.26, on the leader's YouTube channel
• S19 Gantz Knesset plenum speech on the Basic Law: Torah Study bill, 13.7.26
• S20 "המצע" link in the site footer: "העקרונות שלנו", Blue and White platform for the March 2021 (24th Knesset) election

Likud has not published a platform for this election. One promise I did find in writing is from Benjamin Netanyahu's own Telegram channel: "As long as I am prime minister, no Palestinian state will be established, not in Gaza and not in Judea and Samaria."

Likud, led by Benjamin Netanyahu (ballot letters מחל), has not published a platform for the October 27, 2026 election. Its website has six short principles, a page of government achievements, and the slogan "Right or Palestine." Most specific positions come from Netanyahu's official Telegram channel and interviews he posted to his own YouTube channel.

This episode walks the same 13 topics as every episode in the series: security and the Palestinian question, October 7 accountability, the economy, housing, the Haredi draft, the courts, and more, and says where Likud has no published position.

This is part of a Close Read series for English speaking voters on the published policies of every party running in Israel's October 27, 2026 Knesset election. I only use what each party has made public. If a party didn't publish it, it isn't in the episode.

Transcript, chapters and every source: https://closeread.show/israel-2026/likud/
Watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_XtPYpd5Nk
Close Read is free and listener supported. Support it on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheCloseRead

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 0:25 About this series
• 0:55 Who they are
• 1:06 What they've published
• 2:29 Security and foreign policy
• 4:58 October 7 accountability
• 5:13 Economy and cost of living
• 5:46 Housing
• 6:21 Religion and state
• 6:59 Judiciary and governance
• 7:22 Education
• 7:41 Health
• 8:01 Welfare, Arab citizens
• 8:44 Immigration, Environment
• 9:09 What they put front and center
• 9:39 What's missing

Sources (most in Hebrew)

• S1 likud.org.il home page (one-page site): "הדרך שלנו: ששת העמודים של הליכוד" (Our way: Likud's six pillars), "הישגים" (achievements, marked "נבדק ועודכן 23.09.2026"), ballot instructions ("בוחרים מחל"), slogan "ימין או פלסטין", candidate list
• S2 likud.org.il/youth.html, Likud Youth version of the same page: "העקרונות של הליכוד: שישה תחומים מרכזיים בעמדות התנועה", each labeled "עמדת הליכוד"
• S3 Netanyahu post 7048: no Palestinian state "controlled by Iran" in Gaza or Judea and Samaria
• S4 Netanyahu post 7026 (video caption): no Palestinian state in Gaza or Judea and Samaria
• S5 Netanyahu post 7096: Gaza, "we stay on this line", disarm Hamas, demilitarize Gaza
• S6 Netanyahu post 7118: Syria border, commitment to "decide" (defeat) the regime in Iran
• S7 Netanyahu post 7136: Lebanon security zone policy
• S8 Netanyahu post 7148 (video caption): revoke citizenship of those who "defame" IDF soldiers abroad
• S9 Netanyahu post 7043 (video caption): Ariel, "we will build a hospital here"
• S10 Netanyahu post 7025: housing program for reservists
• S11 "הליכוד:" statement 7072 on continuing settlement in Judea and Samaria (addressed to Ben Gvir)
• S12 Netanyahu post 7219: "ימין או פלסטין" campaign framing
• S13 Netanyahu post 7196: "Isaac Accords" invitation, call to withdraw from "the corrupt international court" (court not named in the post)
• S14 Netanyahu post 6996: government plan against crime in Arab society
• S15 Netanyahu post 7005: West Bank counterterror directives, including farms
• S16 Netanyahu post 7091: directive to pursue all Hamas leaders and October 7 participants
• S17 "ראש הממשלה נתניהו בשיחה כלכלית עם אורן דוברינסקי" (economic conversation with Oren Dobronsky), about 28 min
• S18 i24 interview with Naveh Dromi, "בלי עניבה", recorded partly in Gaza, about 20 min
• S19 Channel 14 "הפטריוטים" (The Patriots) interview, about 49 min
• S20 Likud movement site, 26th Knesset elections page (primaries documents, candidate list; no platform)
• S21 "מצע הליכוד", 18th Knesset election (2009), the most recent Likud platform in the Israel Democracy Institute archive. Context only, not used for 2026 positions
• S22 Israel Democracy Institute, Likud party page: platform table lists no platform after 2009 and states "מאז 2009 המפלגה נמנעת מלפרסם מצע לקראת הבחירות". Used only to locate S21 and to cross-check the absence
• S23 Central Elections Committee index of all 38 lists for the 26th Knesset with ballot letters; this party's row gives the letters מחל. The page header still carries the standard note that lists are as submitted, but the index includes the committee's September 23 exclusion decisions, so it postdates the review. Used for ballot letters only. Copied on 2026-10-01 from the Joint List folder's saved copy