Lula Wins Brazilian Presidency, Refuses to Concede

Good Morning, Israel · Monday, October 26, 2026 · 7:35

Good Morning, Israel · Episode 29

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1. Lula Wins Brazilian Presidency, Refuses to Concede
2. Serbia's Vučić Concedes Defeat After Record Turnout in Elections
3. Netanyahu Shares AI Nuclear Blast Image, Warns of Existential Threat
4. Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir Discussed Election Integrity Despite Court Restrictions
5. Netanyahu Considers Crypto to Evade Sanctions, Economy Warns of Fallout
6. Netanyahu and IDF Chief Clash Over Iran Operation Ahead of Elections

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Maya

A day before Israelis vote, the Prime Minister and his army chief are reportedly at odds over a possible operation against Iran.

Daniel

And twenty-two thousand police officers are getting ready to guard the ballot.

Maya

This is Good Morning, Israel from baba News. It's Monday, October twenty-sixth. I'm Maya.

Daniel

And I'm Daniel.

Maya

Daniel, Iran has hung over this campaign all week. Today there's a public picture, and a private fight.

Daniel

Start with the picture. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted an A I generated image of a nuclear explosion over Tel Aviv.

Maya

Not exactly a subtle campaign poster.

Daniel

No. He used it to warn of an existential threat from Iran, and of what he called a historic window of opportunity.

Maya

How did his rivals take it?

Daniel

Badly. Gadi Eisenkot, the former I D F Chief of Staff who now leads the Yashar party, and opposition figure Yair Golan accused Netanyahu of hysteria and fearmongering ahead of the election.

Maya

And the private fight?

Daniel

Netanyahu and the current Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, are reportedly in a rare dispute over an operation that could escalate tensions with Iran.

Maya

Rare being the key word.

Daniel

Right. Israeli prime ministers and army chiefs argue behind closed doors all the time. It's unusual for it to surface like this, the day before an election.

Maya

What does Zamir want?

Daniel

Further discussion, and legal assurances, before the operation goes ahead.

Maya

Legal assurances. That's a general who wants it in writing.

Daniel

And a worried one. A security source warned the operation could spark a swift conflict with Iran. The military's fear is that a miscalculation right before the vote turns into a serious security crisis.

Maya

There's also a report about whether a strike is needed at all.

Daniel

Yes. According to reports, Zamir saw no operational need to strike Iran before the vote. That fits what we told you on Friday, that military officials didn't think an attack was justified right now.

Maya

And the meeting where this came up?

Daniel

Reportedly tense.

Maya

So why does this matter beyond the campaign?

Daniel

Because the Iranian regime is a real threat, and Israel is strongest when its political and military leaders move together. The critics' question is about timing, whether it's driven by Iran's calendar or Israel's election calendar.

Maya

And what comes next?

Daniel

Nothing has been announced. With the vote tomorrow, whoever forms the next government may well inherit this argument.

Maya

Let's stay with tomorrow, and how the vote itself will be protected.

Daniel

Netanyahu met National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who oversees the police, and Police Commissioner Danny Levy, to discuss election integrity and security preparations.

Maya

Which sounds routine, except...

Daniel

Except the courts have placed limits on political interference in election preparations. Officials clarified that political leaders can't direct the police on election integrity.

Maya

And one request in that room has drawn a lot of fire.

Daniel

It has. Netanyahu asked police to monitor far-left activists, citing concerns about their movements. That brought criticism, and legal challenges over political interference.

Maya

So what are the police actually doing?

Daniel

Deploying twenty-two thousand officers, focusing on high-risk areas, and preparing for possible disruptions by various groups.

Maya

And the security picture?

Daniel

Concerns were raised about unrest after the vote, and about potential terror threats. But no concrete danger is currently identified for election day.

Maya

So, vigilance, but no specific warning.

Daniel

Exactly. And that's been the professional line all week.

Maya

Abroad now, to an election result with an Israeli angle. Serbia.

Daniel

Serbia's longtime leader, Aleksandar Vucic, has conceded defeat. A record turnout favored an opposition coalition called the Student List.

Maya

And they're on course to govern?

Daniel

They're projected to win a majority. That would end Vucic's long tenure.

Maya

Where does Israel come in?

Daniel

Serbia has been an ally of Israel. The Student List has taken a critical stance on Israeli policy in Gaza, where Israel has been fighting the terrorist organization Hamas since the October seventh massacre.

Maya

So a friendly capital in the Balkans could cool.

Daniel

That's the question being raised. For Israel, it'll come down to what the new government actually does once it takes over, not what it said in opposition.

Maya

And one more election, much further away. Brazil.

Daniel

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won Brazil's presidential vote on Sunday, with fifty-one point eight percent. It's his fourth term.

Maya

Starting when?

Daniel

January twenty twenty-seven.

Maya

Plenty of time to settle in, then.

Daniel

More than most new governments get.

Maya

Back in Israel, a story for anyone with a car. Fuel prices.

Daniel

Gasoline could jump by more than one shekel per liter, to nearly nine shekels a liter, from November first.

Maya

Why the sudden spike?

Daniel

A temporary cut in fuel tax expires on October thirty-first. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich hasn't decided whether to extend it.

Maya

And underneath the tax, the oil itself.

Daniel

Right. Global oil prices are up, driven partly by the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that carries a huge share of the world's oil. We told you on Friday about Iran reporting damage to tankers there.

Maya

Does it go beyond the pump?

Daniel

It does. The estimate is that the price rise could push inflation up by about half a percentage point.

Maya

So the decision lands at the end of this week, with a government that may be on its way out.

Daniel

Exactly. Smotrich will be deciding in the middle of coalition talks.

Maya

A quick update on cryptocurrency. Yesterday we told you the Bank of Israel rejected Netanyahu's idea of using it to get around possible sanctions.

Daniel

Now the Manufacturers Association of Israel, the country's main industry group, has rejected it too. Their point is that Israel's trade relations with the world are what matter.

Maya

And the Prime Minister?

Daniel

He's defending his remarks as simply exploring options.

Maya

Exploring options. The phrase every politician reaches for after the options explore back.

Daniel

The critics' bigger argument hasn't changed. Israel should focus on preventing sanctions, not preparing for them, because crypto doesn't suit an economy this connected to the world.

Maya

Finally, an incident under investigation near Tel Aviv.

Daniel

A guard's handgun was stolen at a school in Givat Shmuel, a small city just east of Tel Aviv. The thief was riding a scooter.

Maya

How does that even happen?

Daniel

The guard reportedly didn't react during the theft. No one was hurt, and police are carrying out a wide search for the suspect.

Maya

Any word on motive?

Daniel

Not yet. Police say the incident is under investigation, so for now, an armed suspect is somewhere out there, and police are looking hard.

Maya

So, for today and tomorrow, one thing to watch.

Daniel

The polls open tomorrow, Tuesday, October twenty-seventh. Israelis choose their next Knesset, the country's parliament, with the final polls showing neither side clearly in reach of a majority.

Maya

And whether that Iran dispute stays behind closed doors until the votes are counted.

Daniel

Follow Good Morning, Israel so tomorrow's episode is waiting for you.

Maya

See you tomorrow morning.