Middle East

Israel’s elections on Tuesday will serve as a referendum on Benjamin Netanyahu, the longest-serving prime minister in the nation’s history. Special correspondent Ilan Ben Zion recently joined international desk editor Matthew Bell in Boston to talk about what’s at stake.

By Ilan Ben Zion , Special correspondent Matthew Bell , Staff writer

Haifa, Israel; and Boston | Oct. 23, 2026, 5:45 p.m. ET | 1 min read

Israelis head to the polls on Tuesday, Oct. 27, for the country’s sixth national election since 2019. This vote is also the first opportunity for Israel’s electorate to choose a new parliament since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023 – and the wars that followed in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.

A lot has happened in the last three years. The Iran war that began in late February with a surprise attack by the United States and Israel is not resolved. Much of the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon is buried in rubble, which has fueled global criticism of the Israeli military’s conduct in these wars.…