Far-Right Gains Expected as Israel Heads to Polls

Decades ago, extremist rabbi Meir Kahane held a single seat in the Knesset, a tenure so controversial that lawmakers enacted legislation to block his return and routinely walked out of the chamber when he addressed the floor. His platform, which included calls for mass expulsions of Palestinians and the implementation of apartheid-style segregation, was once considered fringe. Today, those same ideologies are gaining unprecedented traction as Kahane’s political successors are projected to win more parliamentary seats than the historic Labor party—a group that once counted Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, and Golda Meir among its leaders. When the extremist rabbi Meir Kahane won a single seat in Israel’s Knesset, other legislators passed a law to prevent him running again, left the chamber when he rose to speak and worked together to block discussion of his ethnonationalist proposals, f our decades ago. These ranged from mass expulsions of Palestinians to apartheid provisions such as segregated beaches and the criminalisation of sex between Jews and gentiles. Featuring smiling teens advocating on camera for the mass killing or expulsion of Palestinians, he posts footage of some of the most shocking exchanges. “That is why I have come here today, to ask and to implore.

The national political climate has moved sharply to the right, a trend most visible in the rhetoric of current government officials. At a recent election rally, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir paired jokes about the starvation of Palestinian prisoners with calls for ethnic cleansing. He also proudly recounted his 1998 conviction related to bumper stickers declaring “Rabbi Kahane was right.” Despite his radical stance, Ben-Gvir’s influence is a hallmark of a broader, more pervasive trend among Jewish citizens in Israel. Concessions, negotiations, Palestinian self-determination, or even Palestinian wellbeing.”, and very few politicians talk about peace. A consistent majority of Israeli polls show prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s current coalition bloc with the ultra-Orthodox and the far right will fall well below the threshold of 61 seats needed to form a government. But Israeli politics that “revolve round constant conflict” heighten the appeal of ethnonationalist messages, Uzan said, the far right is on the rise globally. Our leadership in the centre-left camp has avoided talking about security issues,” Uzan said, adding they had ceded that ground to the right, in the last 20 years. Plain and simple!” he told a rally in the northern city of Haifa.

Polling for the Israel Hayom newspaper indicates that The Democrats, led by former general Yair Golan and functioning as the successor to the Labor party, are currently positioned to secure only eight seats. This marginalization of the left highlights a deep societal shift, particularly among the youth who will determine the composition of the next government. Since the 2022 elections, over 500,000 new voters have come of age. A Channel 12 survey found that three-quarters of these first-time Jewish voters identify as right or centre-right. There will be no second chance, if we lose this time.

This younger generation was shaped by the collapse of the Oslo peace process and came of age during the ongoing conflict with Hamas. Many were teenagers during the 7 October 2023 attacks, which claimed approximately 1,200 lives—mostly civilians—and resulted in the abduction of 251 people, triggering a two-year hostage crisis. Erez Uzan, vice-chair of the Young Democrats, noted that while fear is the primary driver, there is a pervasive sense of racial animosity and hatred among his peers who believe the conflict is unsolvable. Leading to a two-year hostage crisis, militants took 251 living hostages and dead bodies to Gaza. “There’s a lot of people, especially young people, who think that there is no solving the conflict, that we’ll always be at war. From promises to tackle corruption and bring accountability for the 7 October attacks to improving schools and stopping ultra-Orthodox draft dodging, their campaigns focus on other issues. According to the scale of abuse prompted the party to train campaigners in non-violent direct action, “so they know how to handle themselves in a situation where they can keep safe and de-escalate,”, Uzan of the Young Democrats. “We grow up in fear, seeing war all around us – and that leads to a certain perspective. Including speaking to young people about the peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan that were unpopular when signed but have brought lasting stability, now he and fellow campaigners are trying to tackle that failure at a grassroots level. He says, pointing to an active young membership several thousand strong, well above parties who attract more young voters, the process is slow but effective. Comedian turned activist Lior Schleien has been trying to have similar conversations with groups of young Israelis about the deadly futility of pursuing “total victory” in endless wars. According to “Kill them … give me a knife and I’ll murder them,”, One young man.

Political analyst Dahlia Scheindlin observes that young Israelis are consistently more right-wing than their elders, bucking global political trends. She suggests that this generation has been socialized in a populist, nationalist environment where human rights and universal values are often dismissed as signs of weakness or betrayal. While the ultra-Orthodox and religious nationalist communities remain a minority, constituting roughly a quarter of the Jewish population, their influence on the ideological tone of the country remains immense. If they’re discussed at all, possibly as bad as betrayal, those are seen as weak.

The path to power for the opposition remains narrow, often requiring an alliance with parties representing Palestinian citizens of Israel. However, the prevailing political discourse offers little space for alternative visions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistence that security depends solely on military domination and territorial annexation from Gaza to Syria and Lebanon faces minimal challenge from most mainstream political figures. Furthermore, previous peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan are largely excluded from contemporary debates.

The current opposition figures aiming to replace Netanyahu are not campaigning on a platform of peace.

Gadi Eisenkot, a former military head, has long advocated for the “Dahiya doctrine,” which promotes the use of “disproportionate force” to ensure military objectives. Naftali Bennett, another former prime minister, supports extensive annexation of the West Bank, while Avigdor Lieberman has called for the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority. Even Yair Golan of The Democrats has rejected a two-state solution, aiming for a platform that would be considered centrist in Europe but is increasingly isolated in Israel’s current political reality.

The influence of extremist ideology extends deep into the government. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a proponent of settlement expansion, has openly expressed his desire to “wipe out Gaza” and has vowed to dismantle any potential for a future Palestinian state. Meanwhile, institutions like the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities are voicing concern. Its president, David Harel, warned that the nation is drifting toward a future as an impoverished, corrupt pariah state sustained by what he described as a violent, cruel occupation under the guidance of messianic fundamentalists.

As the elections approach, the environment has become increasingly volatile. Recent reports indicate that right-wing activists have physically assaulted volunteers from The Democrats at campaign stands in Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda market. Regardless of the final outcome for Netanyahu, analysts agree that the next Knesset is set to be significantly more right-wing than the current assembly, cementing a trajectory that prioritizes military strength over diplomatic negotiation. Last week, rightwing thugs assaulted Democrats volunteers manning a stand at Jerusalem’s historic Mahane Yehuda market, kicking, hitting and spitting at the group and stealing a phone while police stood by and watched.