Politica - Israeli Politics Explained

Israel’s election has produced a result that neither bloc can govern with.

The most significant shift wasn’t between the Jewish blocs. It was the record turnout of Arab citizens of Israel, which gave the Arab parties 19 seats and made them the deciding factor in whether any government can be formed.

Yuval and Sharon unpack the what happens next, the opposition’s hard choices, and what a 67-seat Knesset majority can achieve even without a coalition.

We’re also hosting an interactive Ask Us Anything session on Zoom on 5 November at 7-8pm AEDT. 

Register here: Webinar Registration - Zoom

Tomorrow, Israel votes. The final polls still show a deadlock. Yuval reports from the opposition campaign trail, and Sharon explains why turnout and the 3.25% threshold could decide everything.

📅 Join us live on Zoom on 5 November to unpack the results: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_V69Fj2HWTEyu00_tfjBStg
 

With less than 10 days until Israel’s election, Sharon and Yuval explain why Israeli polling is so hard to read and why the biggest party doesn’t automatically form the government.

Two weeks out, Netanyahu’s coalition and the opposition are more or less tied, and neither has a path to 61 seats without the Arab parties. 

Turnout, small parties and vote-sharing deals could decide it. Or Israel could be heading back to the polls.

🎧 Follow Politica Israel podast for weekly updates on Israel’s 2026 election.

For more than three decades, Benjamin Netanyahu has been the face of Israel to Jews and governments around the world. With Israel voting on 27 October, Episode 13 of Politica looks at how he built and kept power: his corruption trial, the political culture known as "Bibism," his record after 7 October, and his strained relationship with the diaspora. Will Israel crown him King Bibi?

Ahead of Israel's election, neither of Israel's political blocs can reach a majority without the Arab vote. 

Sharon and Yuval discuss how Mansour Abbas, Ra'am, and the coalition math is shaping Israel's election, from the October 7th story of Osama Abu Asha to the organised crime crisis driving Arab voters' priorities. 

On 27 October, will the Arabs become Israel's government sheikh-makers?

Forget left vs right. Israeli voters are political tribes and keep producing more parties than anyone can keep track of. Are stalwart Likud voters moving away and if so, who will they replace King Bibi with?

Sharon Offenberger and Yuval Regev break down the identities really deciding this election and look at Jewish history as a reminder of what happens when the people are divided.

Politica - Israeli politics explained at a diaspora volume. 

Watch at https://youtu.be/TbmHTDp3oLo

Sharon and Yuval unpack the Haredi draft exemption crisis dividing Israel ahead of its 2026 election - an equality issue as much as a legal one, with some Israelis serving months in reserve duty (miluim) and paying the price of war while others are excused entirely. 

Why does the High Court keeps striking the exemption down, why is it splitting Likud party and Religious Zionist Party voters, and what it means for the next Israel's next prime minister, whoever that is. 

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ezXveAQ0mOs

Israel's election has been called for 27 October 2026 as the Israel's government completes its 4-year term.  

What could actually derail it?

This episode, Sharon and Yuval score the real risks: war with Iran, West Bank violence, internal division, attacks on the judiciary, or an outcome that takes Israel back in time. A look at what's actually at stake for Israeli democracy — and why the diaspora needs to pay attention.

Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/3yx4wjDesx0

Israel is officially going to elections on 27 October 2026, and just before moving to a caretaker government, a new assault on democratic institutions is taking place. For the first time in Israel's history, the government has declared in a statement that it will not respect a Supreme Court ruling.

Sharon and Yuval discuss the fight for three democratic institutions: the judiciary, the media, and the Attorney General.  Without a formal constitution, the stakes of this election are clear.

Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/xYu445AgWiI