Israel's election is scheduled for October 27, 2026, after the Knesset completed its full term and dispersed in July.

Footage from Likud's Jewish New Year gathering in Tel Aviv on Thursday shows Netanyahu greeting supporters and joining party members on stage before addressing the crowd.

"I want to disappoint you: I am not the Messiah, and I am not a king either. A king does not need to be elected. I need to be elected. I need you, and that is why I am going out into the field," Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu Frames Choice Between Right and Left

Netanyahu presented the election as a choice between Israel's political right and left, raising Palestinian statehood and the judiciary as key dividing issues.

"Which direction are we going? Is it left or right? Do you want the left? Do you want the right? Do you want a Palestinian state? Do you want a Jewish state? Do you want a judicial dictatorship? Do you want real democracy ?" he asked.

He later described the political centre as a 'bluff' and criticised Gadi Eisenkot, the former military chief who leads the Yashar party. Eisenkot's party is among Likud's major rivals in the election.

Netanyahu Defends Government's Military Record

Netanyahu also highlighted his government 's military record since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack, praising Israeli soldiers and arguing that his government had changed the regional balance of power.

"Look at what we have achieved thanks to our heroic soldiers, our heroic soldiers. We are proud of you. We salute you," he said, persisting, "On the second day of the war, I promised: we will change the face of the Middle East . And that is exactly what my colleagues here — the ministers of the government and members of the Knesset — that is exactly what we did together. We changed the face of the Middle East."

Netanyahu cited the deaths of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas figures Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh. He also referred to the September 2024 operation in which pagers used by Hezbollah members exploded across Lebanon.

Turning back to the campaign, Netanyahu urged his supporters to keep up their efforts until polling day.

"Likud is awake, Likud is kicking, Likud is strong. But we need to maintain this enthusiasm until Election Day," he asserted.

The October 27 election will be Israel's first national vote since the Hamas-led October 7 attack and the wars that followed.