Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech during a New Year ceremony for the Jewish New Year, attended by Likud members, in Tel Aviv, on Sept. 17, 2026. (Credit: Jack Guez/AFP)

From Tel Aviv to Washington, a post-Netanyahu era is already front of mind

Six weeks before the election, leaks, foreign pressure, and power games are mounting around a weakened Israeli prime minister.

19 Sep 2026, 10:17 by Dany MOUDALLAL · L'Orient Today

In Tel Aviv, Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem and New York City Council member Zohran Mamdani loom over drivers on one of Likud’s huge campaign billboards. “They want Netanyahu to lose,” the sign reads. “Don’t let them win.” The scene leaves little doubt: With six weeks left before the election, the image of a prime minister besieged by foreign enemies now dominates his campaign.Indeed, the Israeli prime minister heads into the Oct. 27 legislative elections — the first since the 2023 Hamas attack — in a significantly more fragile position than after his last victory. Despite fluctuations in the polls, the centrist Yashar party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, regularly leads Likud, while foreign capitals are already preparing for a post-Netanyahu future. Some...

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