Far from fringe: How Israel’s mainstream parties vote with the far right

Israel’s October 27 election, the first since the war in Gaza and conflicts in Lebanon and Iran, is widely viewed as a referendum on Benjamin Netanyahu’s rule. Since October 2023, the Knesset has passed or advanced laws and motions affecting Palestinians, including rejecting Palestinian statehood, backing annexation of the occupied West Bank and cutting aid. Although Israel’s Jewish-led opposition presents itself as an alternative to Netanyahu’s right-wing government, it often votes with the government on Palestinian issues. The political divide in Israel is shaped less by economics than by the conflict with Palestinians, and positions once considered fringe have become mainstream.