Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dominated Israeli politics for decades, making his repeated pledges on living expenses, safety, and policy changes blend together over successive election seasons.

This cycle stands apart because Netanyahu guided a coalition through an entire four-year period without premature dissolution.

Such stability allows a clear assessment of actions taken rather than words spoken during campaigns.

Cost of living

Netanyahu vowed to reduce living expenses in 2022 when the OECD listed Israel as the priciest developed nation, with prices 38 percent above the average, a minimum wage of NIS 5,300 monthly, and average household earnings near NIS 22,013.

Nearly two million people lived below the poverty line then, including over 873,000 children and 152,500 seniors per National Insurance Institute figures.

Israel remains among the five costliest OECD nations today, driven mainly by housing and food prices.

The minimum wage has risen to NIS 6,443.85 monthly while average household income approaches NIS 24,000, though final yearly data is pending.

Inflation has returned to the Bank of Israel's 1 to 3 percent target range after peaking in 2022, yet overall expenses stay elevated compared to global standards.

Free education for young children

Netanyahu emphasized expanding free schooling from birth to age three in 2022 to cut family costs and boost workforce participation.

His April 2023 announcement allocated NIS 2 billion for new state daycares plus parent subsidies, projected to aid roughly 25 percent of children due to limited supervised spots.

The October 7 events disrupted rollout and redirected some funds to war recovery efforts.

As of 2026, universal free care from birth to age three is unavailable, though subsidies assist many families who still pay most costs.

Housing and infrastructure

The 2022 platform called for more housing units plus sustained spending on roads, rail, and transit.

Efforts focused on faster approvals and higher construction starts, including new towns in peripheral and West Bank areas, though OECD data indicates building lags population growth.

War impacts slowed progress and shifted priorities to repairs from attacks.

Roads and congestion rank among the OECD's worst, with traffic worsening despite added funds.

Rail, ports, broadband, and energy saw gains since 2022, but roads and transit tied to daily commutes lag most.

Tel Aviv area congestion stays severe due to undersized public options and slow permitting processes that fail to match population increases.

Strengthening governance

The platform promised stronger action against crime, especially organized groups and violence in Arab communities, with expanded police powers.

Arab murder victims climbed from 116 in 2022 to 252 in 2025 per Abraham Initiatives data, with nearly 150 by mid-2026 on a similar path.

Firearms featured in 85 to 90 percent of those cases amid ongoing illegal circulation.

Raids by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir target crime and weapons, yet extortion schemes targeting businesses have grown.

Global Initiative reports place Israel among nations with notable organized crime issues including trafficking and business infiltration.

Public trust fell, with 65 percent of Israelis expressing little or no confidence in police by late 2025 per Israel Democracy Institute surveys.

Regional security

Netanyahu campaigned on Likud's unique ability to restore deterrence with tougher stances on terrorism, Hamas, and Iran.

Over 2,000 projectiles hit Israel from election day to October 6, 2023, mostly during the May 2023 operation.

Hamas launched at least 3,000 rockets in the initial hours of October 7, with IDF estimates near 5,000 that day.

Across four years, roughly 17,000 projectiles came from Gaza, 13,000 from Lebanon, 300 from Yemen, and 70 from Syria, plus 1,150 Iranian missiles since April 2024.

Thousands of Israelis died in the resulting multi-front conflicts.

Only 13 percent of Jewish Israelis saw negotiations with the Palestinian Authority yielding peace soon, per March 2026 Tel Aviv University data, while under half expected a regional process per late 2025 IDI polling.

Four years provide ample time to judge results over promises.

Outcomes appear mixed: living costs hold steady with Israel still expensive though inflation eased; childcare aid grew but universal coverage fell short; housing and infrastructure received investment yet trailed demand; crime indicators rose with trust in police declining; and security brought October 7 plus extra fronts contrary to restored deterrence goals.

The October 7 attacks redirected resources to unforeseen war, a key context for review, though gaps between pledges and delivery will influence voters in October.