Robin Shepherd is a British-born political commentator and analyst. He is Director of International Affairs at the Henry Jackson Society.
Most Westerners have no clue about the Israeli elections, unsurprisingly given the propaganda from outlets like the BBC. The truth is, Israelis are mainly voting on economic and social matters, the Palestinians will reject genuine peace whoever is elected, and Israel will continue to be demonised in the West regardless.
To much of the Western world, Tuesday’s Israeli elections are about one thing: will those pesky upstarts get rid of that awful Mr. Netanyahu and finally elect a prime minister who is serious about getting a two-state solution with the poor, beleaguered Palestinians.
In Israel, and among those who have the courage to see things as they really are, it’s about something quite different, two things in fact.
First, like their British counterparts facing an election in May, the main issues for Israelis centre on the general cost of living crisis, real wages, jobs, and the astronomical and exclusionary cost (even for people with good jobs) of buying a house.
Israel, though living in a very abnormal region, is a normal democracy in which voters have normal concerns.