Israeli Writer: The Upcoming Elections May Be the Last in Israel

SadaNews: Israeli writer Iris Lial warned that Israel stands at a critical turning point, considering that the upcoming elections may be the last in its known democratic form, citing the current government's behavior, which reflects no fear of losing power.

The writer, in her column in Haaretz, noted that the current government's behavior reveals a disregard for public opinion and an intention to undermine voter confidence, even among its supporters, stating that this is not the behavior of a leadership planning to win in fair elections.

She reviewed a number of examples of what she describes as the collapse of standards, such as attacks on the judiciary, politicization of security and police agencies, weakening of cultural institutions, and the rise of threatening and inciting rhetoric, all against a backdrop of the absence of any genuine effort to rally public support.

In this context, the writer mentioned that the Israeli police have succumbed to a serial criminal who was appointed minister in charge of the department. When the government’s legal advisor informed the Supreme Court that he was misusing his powers to inappropriately influence police work, Itamar Ben Gvir responded "fraud, you are worthless."

This approach, as the writer sees it, suggests an intention to sabotage the electoral process itself by excluding candidates and parties, which means that the damage to the integrity of the elections will worsen as the date approaches.

Iris Lial pointed out there are alarming indications, such as adopting policies that alienate the electoral base of the government, and acting without concern for the fallout from scandals and contentious issues, which enhances the impression that the goal is not fair win, but imposing a new political reality.

The writer concluded that the danger transcends just one election, warning of a project to reshape the governance system in a way that empties state institutions of their role, while maintaining formal elections in the style of authoritarian regimes.

Iris Lial ended her column by calling on the opposition and the public to abandon naive optimism, recognize the extent of the threat, and engage in the democratic battle with full seriousness, emphasizing that if populism prevails, it could become entrenched for many years, and the confrontation must start now.