The April 9 general elections in Israel are among the most contested, uncertain, and possibly crucial in the country’s republican history. Israel’s society is increasingly polarized, and political tensions are also on the rise: the left-right dichotomy has grown beyond the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and now touches upon a series of questions regarding the fundamental values and institutions of the state. Indeed, despite a new round of clashes with Hamas, the Palestine question was left out of the political discourse, while much of the public debate focused instead on Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal issues. The road that brought Israelis to the ballots was scattered by scandals, fake news and harsh propaganda which raised many doubts about the future of Israel itself: Is Israel’s democracy under strain? What is it at stake in these elections?
German Institute for International and Security Affairs
University of Nottingham
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
University of Haifa
Konrad Adenauer Program for Jewish-Arab Cooperation and Tel Aviv University
ISPI and Catholic University of Milan
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Independent Journalist
Independent journalist