Netanyahu Confirms Plan to Seek Re-election in 2026, Says He Expects to Win

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Saturday that he will run for another term in office in Israel’s November 2026 general elections, expressing confidence that he will secure victory.

Speaking during an interview on the right-wing Channel 14, Netanyahu was asked directly whether he intended to contest the upcoming election.

“Yes,” he replied.

When pressed further on whether he expected to win, the long-serving leader responded simply:

“Yes.”

Netanyahu, head of the Likud Party, is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, having spent more than 18 years in office — cumulatively — since first assuming power in 1996.

In the most recent elections, Likud won 32 seats in the Knesset, while its ultra-Orthodox allies secured 18, and the Religious Zionism alliance gained 14, marking a historic result for Israel’s far-right bloc.

Netanyahu’s current term began amid fierce controversy over his judicial overhaul plan, which sparked months of mass protests across the country, with tens of thousands taking to the streets almost daily.

Since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks from Gaza that reignited the war, Netanyahu has also faced growing criticism, particularly from the families of Israeli hostages, over his handling of the conflict.

Despite the mounting pressure, Netanyahu’s latest declaration signals his determination to extend his political dominance well into a third decade at the helm of Israeli politics.

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