HIBAPRESS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Saturday evening his intention to run again for the position of Prime Minister in the upcoming elections scheduled for November 2026, thereby confirming his desire to continue leading the government despite the criticisms and judicial files that follow him.
During an interview on the Israeli Channel 14, Netanyahu was asked if he planned to run in the upcoming elections, he replied clearly: "Yes, I will run for Prime Minister again." Netanyahu, the leader of the right-wing Likud party, is the longest-serving politician in the Israeli government, having spent more than 18 years in office since 1996 in separate periods. His party won 32 seats in the Knesset in the last elections, along with the support of his allies from religious and far-right parties who form the base of his current government. Despite this, Netanyahu faces three open corruption cases since 2020, and he is also widely criticized for the controversial judicial reform project, which his opponents considered an attempt to weaken the independence of the judiciary. Those reforms ignited one of the largest waves of protests in Israel's history, which did not subside until the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, which came after the Hamas attack on Israel. Since the outbreak of the war, Netanyahu has faced increasing internal anger due to his management of military operations and his handling of the file of Israeli hostages held in Gaza. He is also facing an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court on charges related to the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the aggression on the sector.
