Top 10 People Most Likely to Be the Next Prime Minister of Israel After the 2019 Israeli Elections

Who you think will win the elections and will become the next prime minister, who has the most chances?
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The Top Ten
1 Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is an Israeli politician serving as the 9th and current Prime Minister of Israel since 2009, previously holding the position from 1996 to 1999.

Benjamin Netanyahu is known throughout Israel by the nickname "Bibi." He has a strong army record, having served in the Israeli Defense Forces in the elite commando unit Sayeret Matkal.

He is the leader of Likud (right-wing party) and, at age 46, became Israel's youngest-ever Prime Minister. He has had a huge political career, being elected prime minister four times and currently serving as prime minister from 2009 until the next elections.

The one thing that can damage his chances is several unproven claims of corruption charges. He is currently under investigation, awaiting the decision of the attorney general on whether to press charges against him. If elected this time, he will become the longest-serving prime minister since the Israeli declaration of independence, surpassing Ben Gurion, who currently holds the record.

Born October 21, 1949

2 Benjamin Gantz

Benjamin "Benny" Gantz is a general and was the 20th Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces. He is from the party "Hosen L'Yisrael" (center-wing), which he founded. Fresh in politics, he currently holds the most promise in the hearts of many Israelis to unite the center/left-wing parties under his leadership and win the election to become prime minister.

Much of his options are unknown at this stage, as he rarely gives interviews to the press. However, his military career speaks volumes about his character as a leader. He is tall, handsome, and inspires hope with his presence.

His lack of political parliamentarian experience may ruin his chances of winning the election.

Born June 9, 1959

3 Yair Lapid

Yair Lapid is an Israeli politician and former journalist. He was an author and TV presenter and is currently the Chairman of the Yesh Atid party (center-wing).

He has a well-oiled PR machine and a loyal team of volunteers that support him. He is a charismatic leader, speaks well in Hebrew and English, and knows how to hold an interview and give speeches.

His main shortcoming is that he often contradicts himself. On different interview occasions, he says one thing, and when it suits him otherwise, he says the opposite. He also lacks an impressive military record, which is important to Israeli voters. Lapid struggles to maintain balance between atheist voters and the religious sector. Sometimes, he pushes too strongly for equality, creating political outrage from the religious parties, whose support he might need to become prime minister.

Born November 5, 1963

4 Avi Gabay

Avi Gabay is an Israeli politician and the current leader of the Israeli Labor Party "Ha Avoda" (left-center-wing). He was the CEO of the Israeli telecommunications company Bezeq.

In the army, he served as a combat intelligence officer. Gabay is a charismatic leader with strong achievements in the private sector. However, his winning chances are looking bad as his party is almost collapsing in the polls, with internal fights and conflicts tearing it apart from the inside, causing loyal voters to lose faith and abandon the party for more promising contenders.

He also had several unsuccessful interviews that outraged his left-wing base. Many believe he lacks the proper political parliamentarian experience to become prime minister.

Born February 22, 1967

5 Naftali Bennett

Naftali Bennett is an experienced politician from the New Right party (right-wing). He has served several times as a minister.

He is a successful entrepreneur. In 1999, he co-founded and co-owned Cyota, which was later sold in 2005 for $145 million. He also served as CEO of Soluto, which sold in 2013 for a reported $100-130 million.

In his army service in the IDF, he served in the Sayeret Matkal and Maglan units as a company commander. Today, he serves in the reserves with the rank of major. He also served in the Israeli security zone in Lebanon during the 1982-2000 South Lebanon conflict.

Bennett is a strong politician and charismatic leader, but he currently doesn't possess enough political support as he shares his political base with the current prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, which draws Bennett's supporters to vote for Netanyahu. Some centrist voters also find Bennett's views too radical or too religious.

Born March 25, 1972

6 Ayelet Shaked

Ayelet Shaked is a politician, activist, and computer engineer. She has served as Minister of Justice since 2015. Although she represents a religious party, she identifies herself as a secular politician.

She is considered one of Israel's most active and influential legislators. Currently, she is Bennett's partner, and together they established the New Right party (right-wing).

She is widely viewed as a potential future prime minister, but not in these elections. Shaked is a smart, confident, and strong leader who gets things done. However, she currently doesn't possess enough political support as she shares her political base with the current prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, which draws her supporters to vote for him.

Born May 7, 1976

7 Tzipi Livni

Tzipi Livni is a prominent Israeli politician. She is a member of the Knesset and the leader of the Hatnuah (The Movement) party (center-left wing).

She is a former Foreign Minister of Israel and a former Leader of the Opposition. In 2011, she was named one of "150 Women Who Shake the World" by Newsweek. She earned a reputation as an honest politician who sticks to her principles.

Currently, it looks like she has no chance of winning the election, and the polls suggest her party might not even make it into the next Knesset. It seems she must join another party to save her political career.

Born July 8, 1958

8 Avigdor Lieberman
9 Tamar Zandberg

Tamar Zandberg is a politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset and as the chairwoman of Meretz (left-wing). She was previously a member of the Tel Aviv-Yafo City Council.

Zandberg is a very strong female politician, considered the new hope for the left-wing parties of Israel as her party is truly the last one to fully represent left-center wing ideas without leaning to the center.

She has almost no chance to win as her party is not considered mainstream among Israeli voters, who lean toward the center-right wing. Additionally, she is very young and lacks proper political parliamentarian experience.

Born April 29, 1976

10 Ayman Odeh

Ayman Odeh is an Israeli Arab lawyer and politician. He is a member of the Knesset and head of the Joint List, a political alliance of three Arab-dominated parties.

He was raised in Haifa and identifies himself as a socialist. Odeh is trying to maneuver between appealing to Israeli Arab voter needs and supporting Palestinian claims against the Israeli occupation, leading him straight into a political storm.

He is smart and charismatic, upholding relatively moderate and reasonable beliefs and political views compared to other representatives of his party. However, he has no practical chance to win the election as he represents the Arabic minority voters with no option to create a coalition around him. Additionally, some members of his party oppose the right of Israel to exist and dispute Israeli borders and the right of governance.

Born January 1, 1975