| Israeli voters choose between annexationists and pro-occupation generals |
| For the second time this year, Israeli citizens will be heading to the polls on Tuesday to elect a prime minister. For Jewish voters, this election is essentially a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who in July surpassed David Ben-Gurion as Israel’s longest-serving prime minister. While there are no restrictions on the number of terms an elected prime minister can serve in Israel, Netanyahu is facing near-certain indictment on serious criminal corruption charges. Once indicted, his coalition will likely force him to resign. Netanyahu’s Likud party and his rival Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party remain tied in polls. Meanwhile, Palestinian citizens of Israel are facing unprecedented racist attacks, not only by right-wing parties but by Netanyahu himself, who has warned his voter base that Arabs would “steal” the vote — all part of Likud’s campaign strategy that has centered around demonizing Arab citizens and left-wing Israelis. One glaring omission from the current election cycle is the occupation. Neither Netanyahu nor his rivals have presented a vision for ending the military control of millions of Palestinians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. Netanyahu’s “dramatic” announcement of his intention to annex the Jordan Valley if re-elected was anything but, given that Israel already controls almost all aspects of life in those areas — from water, to infrastructure, to freedom of movement. Click here for more on what’s at stake in these elections. |
