Earlier this week, Israelis went to the polls in a deeply consequential election. Tuesday’s vote was the country’s first since the massacre of October 7, 2023, and it served both as a referendum on the tenure of and a larger statement about the country’s political and strategic future.
The stakes could hardly have been any higher. Three years of sustained conflict against a multitude of adversaries have fundamentally transformed the country’s security environment. The Jewish state has succeeded in degrading some of its most implacable foes, such as and Lebanon’s once-powerful Hezbollah militia. But growing international isolation and deepening domestic divisions have made the country’s political scene ripe for change. The election results reflected this tumult, resulting in a drop in popularity for Netanyahu. However, it also saw political underperformance by his challengers that — as of this writing — has left the country deadlocked.
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