Daniel Kurtzer, Foreign Affairs - Benjamin Netanyahu's victory in Israel’s
election last week has been declared a triumph of security over
economics. Netanyahu exploited Israelis’ fears about terrorism and
regional instability, virtually ignoring the growing economic and social
problems in the country. His opponent, Isaac Herzog, fashioned himself
as the candidate who would bring economic and social change. Although
his message resonated with a part of the electorate—Herzog’s party
increased its strength from 15 to 24 seats in the Knesset—the largest
segment of the electorate (about 25 percent) ultimately opted for
Netanyahu, seeing in him a leader who would keep the country safe.
But the election was about more than just Netanyahu. The ultimate
victory belongs to the Israeli right wing, demonstrating that it has
become something of a permanent majority—a strength that comes
regardless of who leads it.
Several factors account for the right’s entrenchment in Israeli
politics. First, the right has become synonymous with security. In a
way, this evolution defies common sense, since a growing chorus of
former military and security leaders are speaking out against Netanyahu
and the right’s policies. But the Israeli right has been buoyed by the
fact that the peace process—long identified with the left—has ground
almost to a halt, undermining Israelis’ faith that the left can ever
broker a peace agreement. The voters have responded by rationalizing: if
no peace from the left, then at least security from the right.
The right has also benefited by exploiting long-standing contempt for
the left among the Sephardim (Jews of Middle Eastern background),
especially among those of North African ancestry—an
animosity that stems from long-simmering resentment over past
discrimination. In addition, by unequivocally supporting settlers,
right-wing parties have acquired a reliable strong support base.
And
finally, the Israeli right has taken advantage of the fact that a large
part of the electorate has perceived coolness toward Israel from U.S.
President Barack Obama. The right has translated this distancing into
accusations that the United States is abandoning Israel. Differences of
view over how to stop the Iranian nuclear program, for example, have
been hyped by Netanyahu and right-wing leaders, further feeding the
perception that Obama is not committed to the relationship.
The resultant toxic mix of factors have driven the Israeli electorate
firmly to the right, making it extremely difficult for anyone on the
left—no matter how compelling—to break through.
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