The Knesset elections on 27 October could be the most consequential in Israel’s short history. After four years of hard-right government under Benjamin Netanyahu, and three years of war on multiple fronts since the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023, Israelis head to the polls with starkly different hopes for their future.
About a dozen political parties are expected to cross the threshold needed to enter the 120-seat parliament. Two main blocs, of nearly equal weight according to polls, face off against each other: an alliance of hard-right parties dominated by Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister and head of the Likud party, and an opposing camp led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former army chief of staff and head of Yashar, a centre-right party he founded last year. A third group, made up of parties that represent Israel’s Palestinian minority, is projected to capture a smaller but critical share of seats.
Whichever bloc comes out on top, a question hangs over the vote: has the Israeli political “centre” shifted so much that even new leaders may not bring real change – at least, not on big issues that matter to the rest of the world, such as accommodating the 7.5 million Palestinians that live under Israeli rule? In this online event, Crisis Group brings together leading Israeli political analysts who will tackle this and other questions.
Panellists:
Thair Abu Ras | Political Scientist, Van Leer Institute
Yaakov Katz | Former Editor in Chief, Jerusalem Post, Co-founder, MEAD
Tal Schneider | Political and Diplomatic Correspondent, Times of Israel
Mairav Zonszein | Senior Analyst, Israel, Crisis Group
Moderator:
Max Rodenbeck | Project Director, Israel/Palestine, Crisis Group
The panel discussion will be held in English and will be live-streamed on YouTube.
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