The chairman of the parliamentary committee responsible for organizing the work of the Knesset (parliament), Ofir Katz, announced on Sunday that Israeli elections will be held on their legally scheduled date of October 27, after confirming that the current parliament will complete its term without early dissolution, amid a tight electoral race between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and opposition parties, led by Gadi Eisenkot's Yesh Atid party.

Katz, a Likud lawmaker, made the announcement during a session of the Knesset committee discussing legislation on party funding in preparation for the elections.

The Knesset's legal adviser, Sagit Afik, stated during the session that the current Knesset 'will complete its full term and will not be dissolved,' explaining that holding elections on schedule does not require passing a bill for its dissolution.

According to The Times of Israel, the current Knesset will complete its full term, with the government continuing to function until a new government is formed after the October elections.

The newspaper noted that the upcoming elections will be the first held on their scheduled date in Israel in nearly 40 years, and it will also be the first time in over 50 years that an Israeli government completes a full term.

Key Contending Forces

Netanyahu's Likud leads the ruling coalition camp, which includes the Sephardic religious party Shas, the ultra-Orthodox party United Torah Judaism, along with the Jewish Power party led by Internal Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, and the Religious Zionism party led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

In the opposition camp, former Israeli Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot's Yesh Atid party has emerged as one of the main competitors to Likud, after recent polls showed it leading other opposition parties and closing in on Netanyahu's party.

Also competing is the 'Together' alliance, formed by former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid by merging their parties 'Bennett 2026' and 'Yesh Atid' into a joint list led by Bennett. The alliance, which brings together a right-wing and a centrist wing, seeks to unify part of the opposition and present an alternative to Netanyahu.

Opposition forces also include the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party led by Avigdor Lieberman, the left-wing Democrats party led by Yair Golan, as well as Arab parties, foremost among them the United Arab List and the Front and Arab Movement for Change.

The prime minister is not directly elected in Israel; rather, any candidate's chances of forming a government depend on their ability to build a coalition supported by at least 61 of the 120 Knesset members, making post-election coalition negotiations critically important.

Tight Race in Polls

The latest poll by Israeli Channel 13, published on July 8, showed Eisenkot's Yesh Atid party leading Likud for the first time, with 23 seats to 22, while the Bennett-Lapid 'Together' alliance came third with 15 seats.

When voters were asked who is the most suitable candidate for prime minister, Eisenkot led Netanyahu with 46% to 36%, while 18% were undecided.

Another poll published by the Israeli Broadcasting Authority 'Kan' reinforced the same trend, giving Yesh Atid and Likud 23 seats each, compared to 53 seats for the ruling coalition parties and 67 for the opposition, including Arab parties.

The results indicate that Eisenkot has become Netanyahu's closest rival, ahead of Bennett and Lapid within the opposition camp, but they also show that the opposition's lead in total seats does not guarantee it can form a government, as the Jewish opposition parties need support from Arab parties to reach a majority of 61 seats.