Jerusalem (Somalia Today) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering advancing the country’s next general election to June 2026, according to Israeli public broadcaster Kan. The move would shift the vote forward by five months from its scheduled date in November 2026.
Netanyahu reportedly hopes to first secure a significant diplomatic achievement by normalizing relations with either Saudi Arabia or Indonesia. The Kan report on Friday, which was cited by other Israeli media, suggested the prime minister is seeking at least one new pact to strengthen his political position ahead of an election.
Under Israeli law, the government can dissolve the Knesset, or parliament, and call early elections. This move requires presidential approval. This mechanism allows a sitting prime minister to time elections strategically.
Netanyahu’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reports.
The diplomatic push aims to build on the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements brokered by the United States in 2020. The accords established diplomatic relations between Israel and four Arab nations: the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan.
According to regional analysts, securing a deal with Saudi Arabia remains the ultimate goal of this US-backed normalization drive.
Saudi prospects
A potential agreement with Saudi Arabia would represent a historic realignment of the Middle East. The kingdom is the region’s economic heavyweight and custodian of Islam’s holiest sites in Mecca and Medina.
The Kan report assessed the chances of a deal with Riyadh as “reasonable.” This assessment follows renewed diplomatic engagement from the United States.
US President Donald Trump, whose first administration brokered the 2020 accords, said Friday he was optimistic about expanding the pacts. “I hope to see Saudi Arabia go in, and I hope to see others go in,” Trump told Fox News. “I think when Saudi Arabia goes in, everybody goes in.”
Trump added that he had “some excellent conversations” with interested parties, even as recently as, like, yesterday.”
The primary sticking point, however, remains the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In February 2024, the Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement confirming its “unwavering position” that no diplomatic ties with Israel would be established without an “irreversible path” to an independent Palestinian state.
Indonesia and the OECD
The second country mentioned in the Kan report is Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation. The broadcaster rated the prospects of a deal with Jakarta as “low.”
The two countries do not have formal diplomatic relations, and Indonesia has historically been a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause.
Recent speculation about a potential thaw has centered on Indonesia’s bid to join the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The OECD is a Paris-based bloc of 38 developed economies. Accession requires a unanimous vote from all members, including Israel.
An April 2024 report in Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, citing officials, claimed a deal was discreetly discussed. Under the alleged arrangement, Israel would agree not to veto Indonesia’s OECD application in exchange for Jakarta establishing formal diplomatic ties.
At the time, Indonesia’s foreign ministry strongly denied the report. A ministry spokesperson said no normalization talks were underway and reaffirmed Indonesia’s “unwavering support for Palestine’s independence.”
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who took office in October 2024, has since adopted a balanced public stance. He called for a two-state solution in a September 2025 speech to the United Nations General Assembly.
“We must have an independent Palestine, but we must also recognize and guarantee the safety and security of Israel,“ Prabowo stated.
The renewed speculation comes as Israel’s foreign ministry this week denied separate Israeli media reports that President Prabowo was scheduled to visit Israel.
