‘There’s a lot of racism, a lot of hatred’: Far right gains predicted as Israel heads to the polls
Whether or not Netanyahu can hold on to power, Israelis are expected to vote in a more rightwing Knesset
TL;DR
- The political landscape in Israel is shifting significantly to the right, with right-wing and center-right viewpoints dominating among young voters.
- The heirs of extremist rabbi Meir Kahane's movement are projected to gain more Knesset seats than the once-dominant Labor party.
- Factors contributing to this shift include the collapse of the Oslo process, the trauma of the October 7th attacks, a pervasive sense of fear, and a political environment dominated by populist and ultra-nationalist discourse.
- Younger Israelis are increasingly rightwing compared to older generations, and this trend is expected to result in a more rightwing Knesset.
- Most Jewish-led parties rule out coalitions with parties representing Palestinian citizens of Israel, limiting opposition paths to power.
- The discourse has largely moved away from peace, negotiations, and Palestinian self-determination, with a focus on military dominance and annexation.
- Even centrist parties like the Democrats face challenges and are sometimes labeled as a radical fringe due to the pronounced rightward shift.
- Extremist rhetoric, including calls for ethnic cleansing and the downplaying of democratic values, is becoming more prominent, particularly through social media.
- Concerns are high among center and left-leaning Israelis that the current political direction, influenced by the far-right and religious fundamentalism, threatens the country's democracy and future.