Netanyahu’s Electoral Strategy: Deadlock

On September 23, 2026, Israel’s Central Elections Committee disqualified every Arab-majority party from running in the October Knesset elections. The committee—composed of representatives from the outgoing parliament—oversees elections and can bar candidates or parties from running. On October 2, 2026, Israel’s Supreme Court unanimously overturned the bans. But this turn of events is more than a legal dispute: it also reveals Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s broader campaign strategy for the elections, given that he is unlikely to win an outright majority. Instead, he appears to be working to prevent anyone else from forming a new government, leaving him in office as caretaker prime minister until Israel holds another round of elections.