Israel's 38 Parties Finalize Knesset Election Lists

(MENAFN) All 38 parties competing in Israel's Oct. 27 Knesset election have now submitted their candidate lists, with opinion polls projecting that 13 of them stand to win seats in the 120-member parliament.

The submission deadline for parties and blocs to file with the Central Elections Committee passed Tuesday evening. The committee has since begun reviewing the lists and examining any objections filed against them.

Per the committee's website, a legally registered party may submit a list of between one and 120 election-eligible candidates. Lists can also be jointly submitted by two or more parties, and every candidate must give written consent to appear on the ballot.

Competing lists
Polling suggests 13 parties could clear the threshold to enter the Knesset.

Among the leading Jewish opposition parties are the Yashar party, led by former Israeli army chief Gadi Eisenkot, and the Together party, headed by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. Also prominent in the opposition camp are the Democrats, led by former deputy army chief Yair Golan, and Yisrael Beiteinu, headed by former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing bloc includes his own Likud party alongside Otzma Yehudit, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir; the religious Shas party, headed by Aryeh Deri; United Torah Judaism; and Religious Zionism, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Among Arab-led parties, polling indicates the Joint List — an alliance of three Arab parties — and the United Arab List, headed by Mansour Abbas, could both secure seats.

The People of Israel party, led by Ofer Winter, and the Reservists party, led by Yoaz Hendel, are also in the race, though polls offer conflicting signals on whether either will cross the electoral threshold. By contrast, surveys suggest the Blue and White party, led by former army chief Benny Gantz, is on track to win no seats at all.

Objections and disqualifications
The Central Elections Committee says objections to candidate lists may be filed through Sept. 15, with challenged lists or candidates given until Sept. 18 to respond. Any committee decision to disqualify a candidate must be referred to the Supreme Court for final approval — a ruling that cannot be appealed.

Final candidate lists will be published in the official gazette no later than Oct. 18, nine days ahead of the election.

Under Section 7A of the Basic Law: The Knesset, a party or candidate can be disqualified if their goals or conduct explicitly or implicitly deny Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state, incite racism, or support armed struggle by a hostile state or terrorist group against Israel.

First announced objection
In the first publicly disclosed challenge, an Israeli newspaper reported Wednesday that Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party had petitioned the Central Elections Committee to disqualify the United Arab List and Mansour Abbas from the race. The paper quoted Ben-Gvir accusing Abbas and his colleagues of being "terrorists" who backed the Palestinian group Hamas.

The 39-page filing claimed the United Arab List "denies Israel's existence as a Jewish state and supports armed struggle by hostile states and terrorist organizations against it." Neither the United Arab List nor Abbas had responded to the petition as of publication.

First on-schedule election since 1988
Knesset elections take place every four years when parliament serves its full term, though the body can be dissolved early with support from at least 61 lawmakers. The Central Elections Committee notes that Israeli elections have been moved up 12 times throughout the country's history. According to the Israel Democracy Institute, the upcoming vote for the 26th Knesset will mark the first election held on schedule since 1988.

The candidate lists now move into a review and objections phase ahead of final approval, with the campaign expected to continue playing out against the backdrop of Israel's deep political divisions in recent years. Forming a governing coalition requires the backing of at least 61 Knesset members.

For weeks, polling has shown the opposition leading Netanyahu's bloc, complicating his path to forming a government after the vote. Netanyahu has been wanted by the International Criminal Court since 2024 on charges tied to war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians in Gaza.

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