Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu recently held consultations with senior coalition figures to discuss possible dates for upcoming elections, with late October emerging as the leading option despite earlier consideration of moving the vote forward.

According to an Israeli media report, a meeting included Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Education Minister Yoav Kisch, and Coalition Chairman Ofir Katz. During the discussion, October 27 was raised as a potential election date.

The meeting reportedly covered a range of topics, including the possibility of holding elections earlier, with September and October both discussed as viable timeframes.

Participants also explored the option of scheduling elections on a day other than Tuesday, which is typically required under Israel’s Basic Law. As a precedent, they cited the March 2, 2020 election for the 23rd Knesset, which was held on a Monday.

Despite these discussions, Netanyahu is currently inclined to stick with the original timeline and proceed with elections on October 27. This is despite prior talk of avoiding the sensitive month of October.

The prime minister’s thinking, according to the report, is to allow more time to consolidate achievements from the ongoing war, with the expectation that those gains will strengthen public support and improve his chances of victory, even during a politically charged period.