Israel’s Netanyahu plans to move up general elections to June 2026

JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to move up the general elections to June 2026, instead of their scheduled date of Nov. 3 of the same year, local media said Friday.

The public broadcaster KAN said Netanyahu hopes to reach new normalization agreements with Indonesia and Saudi Arabia before the new proposed election date in June 2026.

According to KAN, the chances of reaching an agreement with Saudi Arabia are “reasonable,” while the likelihood of a similar deal with Indonesia remains “weak.”

Nevertheless, Netanyahu is seeking at least one diplomatic achievement that would allow him to enter the elections with positive political momentum, the broadcaster said.

There has been no immediate comment from Netanyahu’s office on the report.

Under Israeli law, the government—upon the prime minister’s recommendation—can announce the dissolution of the Knesset (parliament) and call for early elections, provided the decision is approved by the president.