On election day, voters in the settlement of Kiryat Arba in the West Bank emphasized that the country needs stronger leadership than Benjamin Netanyahu. Lishai Cooper, a 22-year-old voter, stated: "Netanyahu has made mistakes and we cannot rely on him. We need someone stronger."
Increasing Preference for Right-Wing Leaders
Netanyahu's supporters, who are currently facing a close competition to return to power, privately acknowledged that they are influenced by figures like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, staunch supporters of the settlement movement. These two have served in Netanyahu's coalition government as ministers of national security and finance and are strong advocates of settlement expansion in the occupied territories.
Lishai Cooper, referring to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, explained his shift in opinion towards extreme right-wingers, saying: "For me, the options are Ben-Gvir or Moshe Feiglin. They have shown that they will not allow this situation to continue." More than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements, which also host over three million Palestinians.
Concerns About the Future of the Settlement Movement
Meir Menachem, a 67-year-old voter, expressed his concerns about the future of the settlement movement and the Jewish identity of the country, criticizing the main parties that lean towards secular global judicial frameworks. He said: "They want to be part of the world, but we do not want this."
Polls in the last days before the election show that Netanyahu, the former Prime Minister of Israel, is in a close race with his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot. Elia Tziri, a 22-year-old student, expressed concern that if a coalition led by Eisenkot comes to power, it may lead to the evacuation of new settlements.
In various areas, voters went to the polls with their economic and social concerns, many criticizing Netanyahu for his lack of accountability regarding recent events. Barry Lynn, a 62-year-old professor, said: "He is the only one who has not taken responsibility for what happened on October 7."
