Elisha Medan<\/a>, an IDF reservist who was critically wounded during the fighting in Gaza.<\/p>\nThe platform<\/p>\n
Security remains the campaign\u2019s organizing theme. At Likud\u2019s September launch, Netanyahu pointed to Israel\u2019s military operations since Oct. 7, 2023, as evidence of his government\u2019s resolve and pledged continued action against the Iranian regime, Hezbollah and Hamas. Likud has also placed opposition to a Palestinian state as a hallmark of its security policy and has hammered political opponents for their alleged ineffectiveness in opposing such a state.<\/p>\n
The security debate also includes questions about the failures preceding the Oct. 7 attack and the division of responsibility between political and military leaders. These sit alongside the government\u2019s subsequent conduct of the war in the debate over Likud\u2019s record.<\/p>\n
In the diplomatic arena, Netanyahu committed the party to resisting international pressure, claiming he would protect Israel\u2019s freedom of action. Alongside that position, Likud\u2019s platform calls for the expansion of the 2020 Abraham Accords, and for the \u201csecuring of strategic alliances in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n
Domestically, Justice Minister Levin\u2019s judicial reform has been one of the government\u2019s most consequential initiatives. Clashes between the government and the judiciary have been routine as Likud has sought to curb the judiciary\u2019s power. Levin has particularly focused on weakening the courts\u2019 influence over judicial nominations. A continuation of this effort is very likely if Likud emerges victorious in the next election.<\/p>\n
On the economy, Likud has largely advocated for free-market capitalist policies. Its preference for private enterprise and competition translates into an emphasis on reducing barriers to business and imports. In the current government, Likud has pushed through several significant regulation-cutting reforms including the \u201cWhat\u2019s Good for Europe is Good for Israel\u201d policy. (The reform, which took effect in January 2025, allows Israel to recognize European regulatory standards for many imported consumer products, eliminating the need for separate Israeli regulatory approval or testing.)<\/p>\n
Despite the general trend toward free market policies, Likud has a wing with ties to Israel\u2019s labor movement. These ties have made the phenomenon of Likud MKs backing socialist or regulatory policies in the Knesset not uncommon. Most recently, several Likud MKs opposed a law seeking to cut taxes on the import of personal items.<\/p>\n
Respect for Jewish tradition also shapes Likud\u2019s politics. Likud has advanced a series of policies to integrate Jewish cultural values deeper into Israel\u2019s education system, including the Roots program, which strengthened Jewish and Zionist identity education, including standardized Bible assessment in elementary schools.<\/p>\n
While on most issues Likud\u2019s current campaign demonstrates political continuity with its traditional platform, the rising controversy surrounding haredi enlistment has led to a significant rhetorical shift relative to earlier election cycles. Likud is currently advocating for greater ultra-Orthodox enlistment and has opened the door for significant legal consequences against draft dodgers. \u201cWhoever does not study Torah will enlist. Whoever says \u2018We\u2019ll die rather than enlist\u2019 should go straight to prison. I won\u2019t accept that,\u201d Netanyahu said in a recent interview. Likud still supports exemptions for full-time haredi yeshivah students.<\/p>\n
The partners<\/p>\n
In 2022, Likud\u2019s alliance with Shas, United Torah Judaism and the joint Religious Zionism\u2013Otzma Yehudit list secured a 64-seat coalition. Its likely partners for the upcoming coalition negotiations now include the two haredi parties, Otzma Yehudit, the Religious Zionism\u2013Zehut list and possibly Ofer Winter\u2019s new People of Israel Party. Netanyahu has also expressed interest in a broader government, which might see Likud attempt to form a coalition with Gadi Eisenkot\u2019s Yashar Party.<\/p>\n
Current polling indicates that Likud is neck-and-neck with Yashar and may have to work across the aisle to assemble a 61-seat majority. Several polls have placed Likud at below 20 seats in the 120-seat legislature, which would mark the party\u2019s worst performance since 2006. Other surveys have been more favorable, with a recent Channel 14 poll placing Likud at 31 seats with a comfortable coalition majority of 63 mandates.<\/p>\n
For voters, the balance within that coalition matters as well as its size. Likud\u2019s strength relative to its partners will shape negotiations over military service, public spending and judicial policy. Those negotiations would determine how much of the party\u2019s agenda Netanyahu can implement, and what concessions another term would require.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(Oct. 6, 2026 \/ JNS) Likud approaches Israel\u2019s Oct. 27 election as the country\u2019s governing party and the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":637778,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[85,46,43],"class_list":["post-637777","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-israel","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/637777","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=637777"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/637777\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/637778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=637777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=637777"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=637777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}