Israel's October 27 Election Is Being Watched Closely Across Africa
Israel is scheduled to hold a parliamentary election on October 27, a vote that is being watched closely in several African capitals for what it could mean for relations with Israel.
The election is for the 26th Knesset, Israel's parliament, after the 25th Knesset dissolved on July 17, 2026. It will be the country's first national vote since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, according to Reuters.
Recent polling shows a closely contested race between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and the far-right coalition it leads and a bloc of Jewish-led opposition parties, according to Al Jazeera. Neither bloc is projected to win the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.
The war on Gaza began in October 2023. Israel has since also gone to war in Lebanon and Iran, according to Reuters.
African governments responded to the Gaza war in sharply different ways. South Africa brought a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice alleging violations of the 1948 Genocide Convention, which Israel rejects. The court issued provisional measures in 2024, including an order for Israel to take action to prevent acts of genocide, which was not a final ruling on whether genocide occurred.
In November 2023, South Africa's National Assembly adopted a motion calling on the government to close the Israeli embassy and suspend diplomatic relations. That same month, Chad recalled its ambassador to Israel.
Morocco has taken a different path. It restored relations with Israel in 2020 under a US-backed arrangement linked to Washington's recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.
On September 16, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita met in New York at a trilateral summit hosted by US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz. The United States, Israel and Morocco reaffirmed plans to upgrade diplomatic relations, elevate their respective missions to embassies and appoint ambassadors.
The three countries also agreed to conclude investment protection and double taxation agreements by the end of 2026, expand flights to include Moroccan airlines and arrange reciprocal high-level visits in the coming months.
Security cooperation over Gaza is another point of attention. Morocco signed an agreement to participate in the International Stabilization Force, or ISF, for Gaza. On July 26, 2026, Israel approved allowing a multinational security force to enter areas of Gaza, with Uganda and Morocco among the contributing countries, according to Reuters.
