Israeli Far-Right Parties Hold Steady in Recent Election Despite High Hopes

Israel's far-right political parties fell short of major gains in the recent election, securing the same number of seats as before but retaining strong backing from supporters in southern cities like Sderot.

Election Results

In the October 27 vote, far-right groups led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich netted a combined 13 seats. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc emerged with 53 seats, which falls short of the 61 needed to stay in power. Meanwhile, the opposition camp led by former army chief Gadi Eisenkot secured 48 seats, and Arab-Israeli parties won an unprecedented 19 seats.

Supporter Reactions

Bakery employee Yaakov Peretz in Sderot expressed belief that Mr. Ben Gvir remains central and noted that Mr. Netanyahu needs right-wing views by his side. Susan Buskila, a 67-year-old voter in Sderot, stated that the far-right leaders represent religious and Zionist youth who love the country. Conversely, shopkeeper Shahar Yaakov expressed extreme disappointment with the results and fears a potential alliance involving Arab parties.

Expert Analysis

Yael Shomer, a political science professor at Tel Aviv University, explained that the election revealed a paradox where far-right influence in government may shrink even as its support at the ballot box grew. According to her calculations, the far-right parties won about 100,000 more votes than in 2022, though turnout was the highest since 1999.

Context

Southern Israeli cities like Sderot have experienced severe security challenges, notably marked by the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which heavily shape local political views and voter demands for hardline security policies. Coalition-building in Israel's parliamentary system frequently involves complex negotiations among multiple parties to reach the threshold required to form a government.