The country is more divided than ever. When Israelis go to the polls on Tuesday, it will be the first time since the Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023.
At the center of the election debate is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the attack and his ability to prevent similar security threats in the future.
But that’s not what makes this choice unique, says Shomer.
It is about the future character of the entire State of Israel, whether the country will move in a more liberal and democratic direction, or an authoritarian and religious one.
Deadlock between the blocs
According to Shomer, several controversial bills are on the table that could be blocked or advanced by the next government, including an amendment to the Judicial Selection Committee that would give politicians more influence over the appointment of judges to the country’s Supreme Court.
“I can give you a hundred other examples of similar bills,” she says.
Two main blocs have emerged in the election - one for and one against Netanyahu. But the opposition is fragmented and is described as having only its opposition to Netanyahu in common.
Furthermore, opinion polls suggest there will be a dead heat between the blocs, with neither able to win a majority without support from the two Arab parties, Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am.
The problem is that there are parties in the “against” bloc that have said they will never cooperate with them, either in government or as a supporting party, says Shomer, adding that there is therefore an imminent risk of a snap election.
High voter turnout
Given how close the race is, combined with the perceived importance of the election, there are indications that voter turnout could reach historically high levels.
Among the country’s Israeli Arabs (Palestinians with Israeli citizenship), there is a rare willingness to make their voices heard - not least because of the increased violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
At the same time, an unusually large number of Israelis living abroad are expected to travel home to vote - which requires them to be in the country.
According to Shomer, even this group of voters - who are predicted to vote left-wing - could play a decisive role.
Estimates suggest that about 60,000 are expected to travel to Israel. They are not represented in the opinion polls. I personally know people who are travelling just to vote. The fact that so many are expected to do so says something about how important this election is.
