It is national election season in Israel. In around 5 months, the State of Israel is about to embark on an election that will be historic for many reasons. It is the first election since October 7th, 2023, a date that was a watershed moment in Israeli history. It is also the first election since Israel’s fateful wars that have occurred as a direct result of the war that began on October 7th.
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This election will almost certainly bring along with it new faces into the Knesset as many have been waiting for the next election to make express their intentions of making fundamental changes to the ruling class in Israel.
Just as the elections following the Yom Kippur War brought change and new parties into the political fray, this election will probably feature many faces that have been active politically in the last few years. The hostage issue, the military battles, and the general sense that many have that things need to be upended or at least changed means that the times are ripe for a surprise.
Sometimes the surprise parties that succeed in an election are short-lived and within a few years, they fade from the headlines. This election will probably lead to a different conversation beginning to take hold. Instead of right-wing or left-wing, pro-Bibi, or anti-Bibi, this election may serve to attract a different mode of discussion that will probably be overlooked by foreign political analysts.
As usual, outsiders will probably note a swing to the right or a swing to the religious right, a victory for Bibi, or a defeat for Bibi. But there will be more subtle changes that will take place that should be noted. Be ready for some surprises this fall in Israel.