Israel's Ruling Coalition and Main Opposition Are Nearly Tied in the Polls, With Netanyahu Projected to See Support Thin
Polls published on Friday put Israel's governing coalition and the main opposition bloc almost neck-and-neck, with half a million first-time voters due to cast ballots and, reportedly, some 70,000 Israelis flying in from abroad specifically to vote.
Benjamin Netanyahu has hit back with a campaign centred on Israel's security and the slogan “No Surrender.” He has repeatedly cast his rivals as soft on security, playing on fears among some right-wing voters that Jewish opposition parties might ally with Israel's Arab parties to secure a majority, and suggesting such an arrangement could compromise national security.
The prime minister has traditionally relied on a stable base of right-wing voters, but is projected to see a thinning of support in this election. That makes a security-first pitch look less like a closing argument than a defensive one.
AI-generated discussion · Different perspectives
“No Surrender” is a defensive slogan wearing a defiant face: it answers a projected thinning of support with a harder line on security.
Or it isn't defensive at all — it's aimed inward. Casting rivals as soft on security and warning that Jewish opposition parties might need Arab parties for a majority plays on fears among some right-wing voters, which looks less like an appeal past the base than a bid to hold it.