India on Wednesday, 27 October 2026 reaffirmed its commitment to deepening bilateral relations with Israel, as Israelis cast ballots to elect members of the 26th Knesset — the country's parliament — in a vote widely regarded as one of the most consequential since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack.

India's Official Position

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, addressing the bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi, stated: 'Yes election is being conducted in Israel. I have seen many of your colleagues reporting from there. We have a good relationship with Israel. We will strengthen this relationship in the coming days...' The remarks signal continuity in New Delhi's strategic partnership with Tel Aviv, which has grown significantly over the past decade across defence, technology, and agriculture.

Netanyahu's Bloc Leads Partial Count

With 84.5 per cent of ballot boxes counted by Wednesday afternoon, partial results from the Central Elections Committee showed incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud-led bloc leading with 54 seats, according to local media reports. The opposition bloc, led by Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party, was projected to secure 49 seats. The predominantly Arab Joint List and Ra'am factions saw their combined tally drop to 17 seats, the Times of Israel reported. The final outcome remained uncertain as counting continued.

Voter Sentiment on the Ground

Voices from Israeli citizens reflected a deeply divided electorate united by one overriding concern: security. One citizen, expressing hope for national reconciliation, said: 'After the results, I think it's very close, everybody is in the same place, and I'm hoping for peace among us. I want us to be together…' Another voter, speaking at the Nova festival site — where, according to her, 378 people were killed during the October 2023 attack — called for a leader capable of understanding the security threats facing Israel. 'We definitely need a leader that will understand the enemy and understand their mentality, and will lead Israel to safety,' she said, expressing a preference for Netanyahu's return to power.

Why This Election Matters

Tuesday's vote was the first Israeli electoral contest since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack — a watershed moment that reshaped Israeli domestic politics, shifted voter priorities, and fractured coalition possibilities. Notably, the election took place against a dramatically altered regional security landscape, with ongoing military operations having dominated the national conversation since 2022 elections. The high Arab voter turnout, which some Israeli observers described as unexpected, added a fresh dimension to seat projections and coalition arithmetic. This is the 26th Knesset election, underscoring Israel's history of electoral volatility and frequent political realignment.

India-Israel Ties: The Backdrop

India and Israel formally established full diplomatic relations in 1992, and ties have expanded substantially since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's landmark visit to Israel in 2017 — the first by an Indian prime minister. Defence cooperation, agricultural technology transfers, and counter-terrorism intelligence sharing form the core of the relationship. New Delhi's Wednesday reaffirmation signals that regardless of who leads the next Israeli government, India intends to maintain and grow the partnership. The next government's composition will determine whether bilateral momentum accelerates or requires fresh diplomatic calibration.