The May 1996 election campaign for prime minister was one of the most dramatic and close in Israeli history.
For the first time, the candidates competed in a direct election: the young Benjamin Netanyahu against the incumbent prime minister, Shimon Peres. The elections were held in the shadow of the deep fractures following the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin in November 1995, during a period of unprecedented social and political polarization.
The public atmosphere after the assassination
After the assassination, the left-wing camp and the Peres government enjoyed broad public support. At the same time, the right-wing camp and Netanyahu were severely accused of creating an atmosphere of incitement that preceded the disaster. Many right-wing activists felt that they were being tried to delegitimize them.
Netanyahu faced a deep deficit in the polls and heavy pressure but chose not to retreat. He adopted a cautious, state-oriented line, strongly condemned the murder, recalled his past statements that “Rabin is wrong but not a traitor,” and at the same time, continued to warn against the Oslo Accords.
The messages and campaigns
The system presented two completely opposite visions for the future of the state:
- Peres camp: focused on the continuity of the Oslo process, stability, and hope for a “new Middle East” of peace and regional prosperity, under the slogan “Peres will divide the peace.”
- Netanyahu camp: focused on personal security against the backdrop of a wave of serious suicide bombings by Hamas in early 1996. With slogans such as “Netanyahu – making a safe peace” and “Peres will divide Jerusalem,” the emotional and targeted campaign directly touched on the public’s security concerns.
The candidates’ difficulties
Netanyahu had to fend off moral accusations, operate under a hostile media, and restore his public legitimacy, when many estimated that his chances were zero. On the other hand, Peres suffered a serious blow to his public image due to the collapse of the sense of security on the streets.
In addition, Operation Grapes of Wrath in Lebanon and the Kafr Kanna disaster drew harsh criticism, and Peres was perceived by some in the public as being disconnected from the ground.
The dramatic election night
On May 29, 1996, as the polls closed, television models predicted a clear victory for Peres. An atmosphere of dejection prevailed at Likud headquarters, and activists began to fold. As the person who moderated the election day event at the Exhibition Center, I insisted on remaining in the hall with the media representatives.
Towards 3 a.m., the true votes poured in from the periphery, from immigrants, and from right-wing communities, and the gap closed and reversed. Netanyahu won by a margin of less than 1%, and the country was stunned.
Establishing the government and its goals
Netanyahu formed a broad right-center-religious government (with the participation of Shas, the National Democratic Party, Yisrael Beytenu, the Third Way, and the Likud-Gesher-Tzomet coalition).
The government set clear goals: restoring personal security, a determined fight against terrorism, protecting Jerusalem, along with promoting a free economy, reducing regulation, and encouraging growth.
The meaning of the victory
For me, as a young leader who coordinated the movement’s youth activities and served as coordination director at the central headquarters in Metzudat Ze’ev, it was a historic privilege to take part in the upheaval that returned Likud to the leadership of the country.
Netanyahu’s victory in 1996 remains one of the greatest political comebacks in Israel. Within a few months, he changed reality and became the dominant leader for generations to come. The Israel of May 2026 is a living testimony to the vision and economic and political legacy that began on that unforgettable night of upheaval.
The writer is an expert in government and public policy, a former adviser to prime ministers, and a senior commentator. He served as the director of coordination for the Likud and Netanyahu’s central election headquarters in May 1996.
