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Israel Votes: The Final Lap

October 21, 2026 · 42 min

Show notes

Why is the most fateful election in Israel's history being met with an unprecedented absence of public passion and ideological fervor in the Israeli public square?

In the last episode before the election, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi explore why a moment of profound national anxiety is being preceded by a deceptive, almost eerie calm on the streets and who it stands to benefit. They examine the

moral stain of extremist settler violence in the West Bank and the urgent need to confront it, Donald Trump's endorsement of Benjamin Netanyahu and its potential to revive fears of war with Iran, and how Gadi Eisenkot's calm, steady disposition may prevail in a country too emotionally exhausted to embrace radical visions.

Ultimately, they consider how a fractured democracy can overcome sectarian paralysis and reclaim the democratic promise of a unified Jewish homeland.

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