Israeli politics

The existential choice: Next Israeli election must be about policy, not poison - opinion

As Israel heads to the 2026 elections, growing internal divisions may pose a greater threat than any external enemy.

AN AI-GENERATED cartoon illustration depicting Israeli political leaders in a boxing ring, ready to contest the elections. Figures representing the haredim and Israeli Arabs are on the sides, reflecting the author’s belief that they do not follow the consensus regarding support for the state.
Dr. Yousef Jabareen

Hadash elects former MK Yousef Jabareen as party chairman, ousting Ayman Odeh

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Defense Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attend a discussion at the plenum in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, July 23, 2025.

Coalition submits bill to dissolve Knesset, vote expected next week

President Isaac Herzog speaks at the  ‘President’s Conference for a Shared Israeli Future’ in Jerusalem on May 13, 2026.

Herzog warns Israel’s greatest internal threat is growing division at ‘Time to Talk’ conference


Connecting the dots: The deep state is not hidden, it runs Israel - opinion

As part of Israel’s legal system and political structure, they are essential to the way the government works. The challenge, however, is to understand how decisions are made and by whom.

Arnon Ben Dor, Chairman of the Histadrut, visits in the Northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona., June 27, 2024.

'Worst treason in Israel's history': Bennett, Netanyahu trade barbs over Qatargate

Bennett stated that while he would not claim Netanyahu ordered his advisers to act on behalf of Qatar, he should have "been the first to cry out and take action" when the affair was revealed.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former prime minister Naftali Bennett. (Illustrative)

Former PM Bennett calls Qatargate treasonous, calls on Netanyahu to resign

Yair Lapid, who also briefly served in the role, called it the "most serious treason case in the history of the State.”

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett speaks at a political event in Jerusalem, November 19, 2025; illustrative.

The inquiry into October 7 can either help heal or deepen Israel’s divide - analysis

If properly constituted, the probe can help Israel understand how a catastrophe of this scale was allowed to happen, and how to ensure it does not happen again.

Israeli anti-government protesters hold placards during a demonstration against Israel's prime minister and in support of establishing a state commission of inquiry into Hamas' October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, on Habima Square in the coastal city of Tel Aviv on November 22, 2025.

Israeli gov't approves Army Radio shutdown, commander vows to fight closure

Army Radio commander Tal Lev-Ram has said that he would fight the closure, which Defense Minister Israel Katz has pushed for, before the High Court of Justice.

An illustrative image of a reporter for Army Radio (Galei Tzahal) taken in 2019.

Most Israelis say social division bigger threat to country than Iranian nuclear threat - poll

While 59% of Jewish respondents viewed polarization as the greatest threat, only 39% of Arab participants said the same, possibly due to higher Arab sympathy with Palestinians.

 Israelis clash with police during a protest against the decision of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fire head of Shin Bat Ronen Bar, in Jerusalem, March 20, 2025.

The case for Sharren Haskell: The leader Israel needs and the system can’t tolerate - opinion

At a time when sovereignty, security, and national cohesion demand leaders forged by responsibility rather than ambition, Sharren Haskel illustrates what effective leadership is really like.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel, as she marches on a three-day journey from Kfar Saba to Jerusalem to protest the current outline of the haredi conscription bill.

Israel's opposition must unite to defeat Netanyahu, restore responsibility in politics – opinion

A divided opposition risks repeating past failures; uniting the parties is the only path to replacing the current government.

Opposition party leaders Yair Golan, Yair Lapid, and Benny Gantz. Israel’s opposition needs to find unity, the writer says.

A golden noose around Israel’s soul: Ben-Gvir’s theology of death strangles society - opinion

The golden noose represents a theology of death, a reverence for vengeance that distorts the face of Judaism and deals a severe blow to Israeli society.

NATIONAL SECURITY Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is seen wearing a gold pin of a noose, on December 8, 2025.

Responsibility vs popularity: Israeli elections are a test for society - opinion

Experience shows that dramatic statements and grand promises may generate temporary support, but that support evaporates quickly when confronted with facts.

Benny Gantz.