OCTOBER 18, 2026 07:45

Updated: OCTOBER 18, 2026 07:46

After residing in the country for 32 years, marked recently by our aliyah anniversary, I believed I grasped the mindset of Israelis. Yet reviewing the latest pre-election surveys reveals how limited my insight remains beyond our small English-speaking circle.

Why, three years following the October 7, 2023 collapse of security and leadership structures, does the ruling alliance appear tied with challengers in several surveys, or even dominant in one pro-government outlet? This contrasts sharply with sentiments shared among local contacts.

Right after October 8, many foresaw an immediate end to the current government. The horror of the attack sparked cautious optimism among critics of the ongoing spread of animosity and splits, long used by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to maintain control.

Still, the alliance completed its term, and the story has shifted enough for Likud to recover much of its earlier backing.

Further puzzling in areas like southern Jerusalem, the October 7 anniversary has barely shifted opinions. Minds were set earlier, with little prospect of core Likud supporters switching, despite fresh reports of misconduct and neglect emerging often.

How did matters reach this point? The cause, regrettably from my viewpoint, appears tied to bias. Consider the large campaign posters featuring the slogan Right or Palestine, or the crude AI video showing opposition figure Gadi Eisenkot rushing past his fallen son to embrace Mansour Abbas of the United Arab List.

Such messaging offends in multiple ways.

Parity at Hadassah-University Medical Center

I passed two months as a patient at Hadassah-University Medical Center in Ein Kerem last summer. The facility stands as a model of fairness here. Numerous skilled physicians and nurses attending me came from Arab Israeli backgrounds. Half of all pharmacists nationwide hail from that community. Care felt appropriate throughout, even during repeated checks for blood sugar levels.

Earlier this year, I attended an English event at the Begin Heritage Center where Naftali Bennett, head of the opposition Together party, spoke. Pressed on whether future coalitions should feature an Arab group such as Raam, as in the prior change government, he avoided a clear reply.

He indicated openness to any group that accepts the Jewish right to a state in Israel, among other conditions. Raam has met that standard and gone further by placing Jewish Israeli Yoav Segalovich in the second spot, tasked with tackling crime in Arab areas, a topic ripe for broad agreement.

Eisenkot, responding to pressure from the right, has declared he would exclude Arab parties from any new government, yet between that option and fresh elections, campaign statements may not hold firm.

Here I note my choice: Bennett. His group may not lead the opposition in size, but it offers concrete strategies to address national issues from roads to schools to defense forces.

The roster features experienced experts who have managed departments before and can start work at once. Should Eisenkot secure sufficient seats to build a coalition, I hope he incorporates some of Bennett's group into key roles.

Yet the opposition struggles with a unified approach. Must it focus on graft risks and judicial overreach? Details on what Netanyahu knew about October 7? Pushing for an official inquiry? Or tap widespread anger among non-ultra-Orthodox voters by advancing a draft law for yeshiva students into a military short on personnel.

This stands against Netanyahu's steady focus on anti-Arab themes.

One final blunt question: What keeps Netanyahu in the race? At 76 and likely facing health issues, he uses a pacemaker and has dealt with cancer, reportedly in remission though treatments stayed hidden.

Recent images show him notably leaner. While exercise might explain it, personal experience suggests serious illness can cause rapid weight loss.

Should he lose, might that lead to a plea deal in his legal case and exit from politics to dodge prison? If so, why delay that step?

I have no plans to depart Israel no matter the results. Still, my family, physicians, skilled tech workers, and strained reservists might. One survey found nearly a quarter of citizens preparing exit options should the alliance push further toward authoritarian rule.

I hope these pivotal elections spark an unexpected shift that rouses the public from its current inertia, allowing repair of the nation we cherish.

Perhaps then true understanding of Israelis will come.

The writer's book, TOTALED: The Billion-Dollar Crash of the Startup that Took on Big Auto, Big Oil and the World, appeared earlier this year as an audiobook. It can be found on Amazon and other sites in print, digital, and audio versions. brianblum.com