The Israeli newspaper “Maariv” revealed what it described as the “secret strategy” adopted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in preparation for the 2026 elections, noting that his goal is not limited to achieving a parliamentary majority, but also to prevent his opponents’ camp from forming a government.
According to the newspaper, the upcoming elections are expected to be among the most complex Israeli elections, amid intense competition and the possibility of continued political stalemate.
During an interview on “103 FM” radio, former Knesset member Eitan Kabul and strategic advisor Nebo Cohen believed that Netanyahu continues to strengthen the cohesion of his political bloc, even if this leads to the loss of a limited number of seats.
Cohen pointed out that Netanyahu is publicly presenting the idea of forming a broad unity government, while in return he is working to pass legislation, including a basic law for “Torah study,” with the aim of maintaining the cohesion of the ruling coalition before the elections.
For his part, Kabul considered that Netanyahu has become aware of the difficulty of reaching a majority of 61 seats, so he is focusing on preventing his opponents from reaching this number as well, even if that costs him the loss of two or three seats, stressing that his priority is to preserve the current coalition and keep the political arena in a state of balance that prevents any party from deciding the scene.
He also saw that Netanyahu seeks to encourage the emergence of new political figures, such as Benny Gantz and Dadi Simhi, which contributes to dispersing the votes of the opposing camp and preventing it from forming a stable government.
Cohen presented two possible scenarios for the upcoming elections, the first represented by the movements of politicians he described as “opportunists” capable of joining any camp, which might give Netanyahu a chance to reach a majority. The second scenario is linked to a group led by Gilad Erdan, which may prevent any party from achieving a parliamentary majority, which may open the door to the formation of a national unity government.
The dialogue also addressed the controversy that accompanied the opening of the 22nd Maccabiah Games, after media reports spoke of an altercation between Sara Netanyahu and the Prime Minister, over the organization of the ceremony. However, Eitan Kapel contented himself with commenting, saying that “things speak for themselves,” refusing to go into additional details.
