Israeli election campaign intensifies amid coalition fractures, diplomatic rifts and societal crises

Likud struggles, new parties emerge, and coalition tensions boil over

Fragmentation reshapes the electoral map — As the deadline for Knesset list submissions passed, Israel's political landscape fragmented further. Prime Minister Netanyahu framed the election as a binary choice, but polls showed his coalition dropping to 47 seats, with Likud ranging from 19 to 27 seats. New parties challenged the established blocs: Gadi Eisenkot's 'Yashar!' list, Ofer Winter's party passing the threshold with 4 seats, and a new Haredi platform challenging welfare dependency. Likud struggled to recruit high-profile candidates, with Ofer Winter, Yossi Cohen, and Gabi Ashkenazi declining or not committing. Ben Gvir versus the police and the prime minister — Internal coalition tensions escalated sharply. Netanyahu expressed anger in closed conversations with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, declaring he would not include him in a future government. Ben Gvir approved prison service appointments while freezing police budgets, and accused Police Commissioner Danny Levy of being controlled by the Attorney General. Levy refused to meet Ben Gvir until appointments and budget were approved, prompting Ben Gvir to announce direct procurement for police needs. Retired police commissioners plan to petition the High Court against Ben Gvir. UK sanctions, UAE warning controversy, and Gulf realignment — Diplomatic tensions dominated the week. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced retaliatory measures against Britain, including barring 12 British public figures, after the UK imposed economic sanctions on Israeli settlements. Florida Congressman Randy Fine warned of a potential Florida boycott of British businesses. Meanwhile, reports that UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed warned Netanyahu before October 7 were denied by Netanyahu but not denied by UAE, creating a political dispute. Israel also opened its first embassy in Slovenia amid broader European tensions. Gulf states, including Qatar and UAE, called for reduced reliance on the US security umbrella. PISA scores collapse and societal fractures deepen — Israel's 2025 PISA results hit lowest-ever scores in reading, math, and science, sparking attacks on Education Minister Yoav Kisch by the teachers' u