Israel: election day, with Benjamin Netanyahu’s future at stake
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Israelis vote on Tuesday 27 October in parliamentary elections, the first since the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future is at the heart of the vote.
In this article
The essentials
According to NHK, voting began on 27 October in Israel; the central question is whether Benjamin Netanyahu can remain Prime Minister. The opposition blames him for failing to prevent the Hamas attack three years ago, and he is said to be struggling in the campaign.
The voting system
According to Euronews, voters choose party lists, not candidates. The Knesset has 120 seats, 61 are needed for a majority, and no party is close. The next Prime Minister will therefore be whoever manages to form a coalition; failing that, Netanyahu stays in power in a caretaker capacity until a new vote.
The main players
Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud) is the longest-serving Prime Minister; Euronews says Likud currently has 32 seats (a figure taken from an October 2025 photo caption). His main rival is Gadi Eisenkot, a former chief of staff and centrist, who promises to end the de facto military-service exemptions of ultra-Orthodox men. He lost a son and two nephews in the fighting in Gaza, according to the article.
The issues
Euronews highlights four issues. October 7: about 68% of Jewish Israelis say their view on this matter is central to their vote (32% among Arab citizens). Conscription: about 13,000 ultra-Orthodox men turn 18 each year and fewer than one in ten enlist; nearly a quarter of Jewish voters say it will weigh on their choice. Judicial reform: only 18% of Jewish Israelis say it will influence their vote. The economy and cost of living: 38% of Jewish Israelis and 46% of Arab citizens rank it as first or second priority.
To keep in mind
According to Euronews, Netanyahu is being prosecuted for corruption, which he denies; an international arrest warrant also targets him in connection with Israel’s conduct in Gaza. The article adds that Gaza, the occupation of parts of Lebanon and Syria and the two wars against Iran were barely debated during the campaign.
What we do not know yet
The articles consulted give no seat projections by party, no turnout, no number of voters, no time for the count and no timetable for coalition negotiations. A follow-up will be added with the results.
Learn the grammar
French grammar
Learn sentence patterns and usage from the article’s own sentences.
01The present indicative
est / sont + attribute (noun, adjective, prepositional phrase)
L’avenir politique du Premier ministre Benyamin Netanyahou est au cœur du scrutin.Key pointsÊtre in the present is est for a singular subject and sont for a plural one. It describes nature, state or place (“is”, “is located”). If what follows (the attribute) is a noun, adjective or prepositional phrase, it is not a passive. If a past participle follows, it is a passive (est annoncé). Headlines and summaries often use the present to describe the current situation.
02The passé composé
present of avoir + past participle
Selon NHK, le vote a commencé le 27 octobre en Israël ; la question centrale est de savoir si Benyamin Netanyahou pourra rester Premier ministre.Key pointsThe passé composé is the most common past tense, used for “did” and “has done” — actions completed in the past. It is formed with the auxiliary avoir (a / ont…) in the present + a past participle. Past participles of -er verbs end in -é (annoncer → annoncé); learn the irregular ones (faire → fait, prendre → pris, voir → vu). In the negative, ne … pas wraps the auxiliary (n’a pas annoncé). In the news it reports facts that have already happened, such as “announced” or “voted”.
03The futur simple
stem (infinitive) + -ai / -as / -a / -ons / -ez / -ont
La réforme judiciaire : seulement 18 % des Juifs israéliens disent qu’elle influencera leur vote.Key pointsThe futur simple means “will do” or “is planned to”. Add -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont to the infinitive (participer → il participera). Watch the irregular stems: être → ser-, avoir → aur-, aller → ir-, faire → fer-, pouvoir → pourr-, voir → verr-. In the news it is used for fixed plans and outlooks.
04The present conditional
stem (infinitive) + -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient
Les oppositions lui reprochent de ne pas avoir empêché l’attaque du Hamas, il y a trois ans, et il serait en difficulté dans la campagne.Key pointsThe conditional expresses possibility, supposition, unconfirmed information and polite requests (“would”, “might”). It uses the same stem as the future and the same endings as the imparfait (-ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient): pouvoir → il pourrait. In the news it is used to avoid asserting, as in “is reported to…” or “there is a possibility…”.
05The passive voice in the present
être (est / sont) + past participle (+ par / de)
Selon Euronews, Netanyahou est poursuivi pour corruption, ce qu’il dément ; un mandat d’arrêt international le vise aussi en lien avec la conduite d’Israël à Gaza.Key pointsThe passive means “is done” or “is being done”. It is formed with être + past participle, which agrees with the subject in gender and number (la mesure est adoptée / les mesures sont adoptées). The agent is introduced by par (or de). In the news it is common when the event, rather than the actor, is the focus (est prévu / est annoncé / est connu).
06Pronominal verbs
se / s’ + verb
La conscription : environ 13 000 hommes ultra-orthodoxes ont 18 ans chaque année et moins d’un sur dix s’enrôle ; près d’un quart des électeurs juifs disent que cela pèsera sur leur choix.Key pointsA pronominal verb is used with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous) before the verb. It can mean “do to oneself”, “be done” or “do to each other”. In the news, se traduire (to result in), se tenir (to take place), s’agir de (to be a matter of) and se diffuser (to spread) are frequent. The pronoun changes with the subject (il se tient / ils se tiennent / je me souviens).
07Negation and its scope
ne / n’ … pas · ne … plus
Les oppositions lui reprochent de ne pas avoir empêché l’attaque du Hamas, il y a trois ans, et il serait en difficulté dans la campagne.Key pointsNormally ne and pas wrap the verb. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’. Check which part of the sentence the negation covers. Ne … plus means “no longer”.
08Citing a source with selon
selon + noun / organisation
Selon NHK, le vote a commencé le 27 octobre en Israël ; la question centrale est de savoir si Benyamin Netanyahou pourra rester Premier ministre.Key pointsSelon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.
09The subject relative pronoun qui
noun + qui + verb
Le prochain Premier ministre sera donc celui qui parviendra à former une coalition ; à défaut, Netanyahou reste au pouvoir par intérim jusqu’à un nouveau scrutin.Key pointsQui continues a description of the person or thing just mentioned (“the one that does…”). Because qui is itself the subject of the next verb, do not repeat the subject. The verb agrees with the noun qui refers to.
10Dates and their prepositions
le + 日付 / du … au …
Les Israéliens votent mardi 27 octobre pour des élections législatives, les premières depuis l’attaque du Hamas du 7 octobre 2023.Key pointsLe 15 octobre means “on 15 October”. Distinguish the le before a date from the le that marks a weekly habit like a weekday. Du is de + le and au is à + le, so decide the meaning from the verb and period expressions around them. Their role depends on the group: a range of dates, the date of a bulletin or another complement.
11Marking a starting point
dès / depuis / à partir de + point in time
Les Israéliens votent mardi 27 octobre pour des élections législatives, les premières depuis l’attaque du Hamas du 7 octobre 2023.Key pointsDès means “as early as” or “as soon as”, and à partir de means “from … onwards”. Depuis basically shows a state or period continuing from a point in time. All deal with a start, but they are not used the same way.
Japanese grammar
Understand the structure and usage from the text.
01Citing a source: によると
noun + によると
NHKによると、27日、イスラエルの総選挙の投票が始まりました。Key pointsAs in “LCPによると”, it shows where the information comes from. What that source reported follows. It is used differently from “私にとって”, which gives one’s own opinion.
02Plan, outlook and policy
〜の予定 / 〜見込み / 〜方針
確認できた記事には、各党の議席の予測、投票率、有権者の数、開票の時間、連立の交渉の予定は、書かれていませんでした。Key points予定 is a plan, 見込み a forecast and 方針 a course of action or intention. None of them asserts that something has already been carried out. Note the difference from expressions such as “決まりました”.
03Cause or purpose with ため
〜ため / 〜ために
そのため、次の首相は、連立政権をつくれる人になります。Key pointsため is used for both reason and purpose. “成立ではないため” is a reason and “運転手を守るため” a purpose. Decide from the whole sentence whether what precedes is a cause or a goal.
04The polite past ました
verb stem (連用形) + ました
27日（火）、イスラエルで総選挙の投票が始まりました。Key pointsIn “発表しました”, ました makes a verb polite past. The negative is “ませんでした”. Read the actual date together with the date and time in the text.
05Quoting with と: content and report
plain-form sentence + と + verbe de parole (報じる, 説明する…)
ネタニヤフ氏は、3年前に、イスラム組織ハマスの奇襲攻撃を防げなかった責任を、野党の側から追及されていて、選挙では、苦しい戦いを強いられているとされています。Key pointsと takes the content that is reported or explained. In “改定する方針だと報じました”, “改定する方針だ” is what the report said. Separating the content from who said it and how makes long sentences easier to read.
06Possibility in Japanese: できる・られる
verb potential form / 〜ことができる
ネタニヤフ首相が続投できるかが、最大の焦点です。Key pointsできる is the basic verb for ability. The potential form of 受ける is 受けられる. The same られる can also be passive or honorific, so decide from the meaning of the sentence.