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Katz says Lapid, Bennett and Golan will carry blame for any pre-election attack
Israel's defence minister warned of enemy plans to strike around the election and said opposition critics would be responsible, drawing a sharp reply from Eisenkot.
Elections
File photo
Israel votes on Tuesday, 27 October
Israel's election, 27 October 2026
Netanyahu's outgoing coalition averages 49.6 seats in the latest polls, 11 short of a majority. The vote is in 4 days.
Seats for the outgoing coalition. The upright line marks 61, a majority.
- Yashar21.8
- Likud20.1
- Together13.3
- The Democrats9
- Joint List8.5
- Otzma Yehudit8
215 polls since January, from 10 outlets. Latest: Zman Yisrael, 22 Oct.
Every poll, the party trends and the coalition builder →Get the election result by email the morning after the vote.
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Latest from Israel
Security
Illustration
Four Israelis wounded in Judea Junction shooting; gunmen killed in firefight
Footage shows a prolonged gun battle before troops killed two gunmen near Hebron; one Telegram channel reports a higher wounded count than first responders.
File photo
Illustration
Illustration
Israel in numbers
Israel is a country in the Middle East with about 10.1 million people, running some 260 miles from the Golan to the Red Sea.
The basics in one place, each with the page that goes deeper.
10.12 million
people lived in Israel in 2025, and the number is growing by about 1.21% a year.
260 miles
from the Golan in the north to Eilat on the Red Sea, with 170 miles of Mediterranean coast.
Jerusalem
is the capital and the seat of the government and parliament. Tel Aviv anchors the largest metropolitan area.
Hebrew
is the official language, and Arabic has a special status in law.
$1 = ₪3.108
The currency is the shekel (₪).
ECB reference rate · 2026-10-22
$119
is what $100 of everyday spending in the United States costs in Israel, the third highest of the 38 OECD countries (August 2026).
₪13,769
a month is the average wage in 2026, before tax, according to the National Insurance Institute.
UTC+2 / +3
Israel's clocks run two hours ahead of UTC from late October to late March, and three hours ahead for the rest of the year.
22,423
people moved to Israel as new immigrants in 2025, according to the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration.
Figures from Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, the National Insurance Institute, the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the OECD and the European Central Bank.
Free tools
Answer the question, then get on with your day
Each one runs on published data and shows its source.
The country
From the Golan to the Red Sea, in 260 miles
Israel is smaller than New Jersey and holds a desert, a rift valley, an alpine north and 170 miles of Mediterranean coast. Every picture below opens a guide to the place in it.
New: the live map
See what is happening in every corner of Israel
Zoom from the Golan to Eilat. Pick any city or region and get its news, its numbers and its guide, on one map.
Open the mapThe calendar
What is coming up
Dates begin at sundown the evening before.
December 5, 2026
Hanukkah
The festival of lights: eight nights of candle lighting marking the rededication of the Temple. Latkes, sufganiyot and dreidels.
January 23, 2027
Tu BiShvat
The new year of the trees. Tree planting in Israel and eating the fruits of the land.
March 23, 2027
Purim
Celebrates the rescue of the Jews of Persia as told in the Book of Esther. Megillah readings, costumes, mishloach manot and festive meals.
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