Israel Election: Security Trumps Global Image Concerns

Israeli voters are prioritizing national security over the country's deteriorating global image as they prepare for the election on October 27. A Pew poll conducted between February and May of this year found that a median of 67% of adults across 36 countries hold an unfavorable view of Israel.

This decline in international standing has coincided with a series of high-profile incidents reported by Israeli media in recent months. In July, Israeli tourists in Montenegro were reportedly confronted by locals who asked if they were taking a break from genocide. Similar harassment has been reported in Greece, Thailand, and the United States, where an Israeli couple checking into a California hotel was asked if they were baby killers.

Despite these events, political analysts say the issue is not driving the electoral debate. Yaakov Katz, a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute, noted that many Israelis view the diplomatic fallout as beyond their immediate control. Katz said that voters accept the argument that the world is against Israel and that criticism is often rooted in antisemitism, regardless of government policy.

Ofir Dayan, a senior fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, stated that while Israelis are aware of foreign hostility, they are one-issue voters in this cycle. Dayan explained that the central issue is security, specifically the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack. She said voters are not yet ready to shift their ballots based on diplomatic performance.

Peter Lerner, a former Israel Defense Forces spokesman for the international press, agreed that international standing is secondary to two primary factors: whether Benjamin Netanyahu leads the next government and the balance of power between the left and the right. Lerner said that questions about who is best suited to handle regional threats dominate the conversation, leaving little room for debate on public diplomacy.

Few of the dozen or so parties expected to win seats in the Knesset have outlined specific plans to improve Israel's global image. The B'Yachad Party, led by former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, proposes elevating the role of Diaspora Jewry by creating a non-voting observer position in parliament. The new right-wing party Amcha Yisrael includes two prominent public diplomacy activists on its candidate list, one of whom, Yoseph Haddad, has expressed interest in becoming the next minister for public diplomacy.

Journalist Eylon Levy, a former Israeli government spokesman, argued that public diplomacy is not a goal in itself for most candidates but rather a tool for achieving national interests. Levy suggested that a moderate government elected on October 27 might buy Israel some goodwill among its allies, even if it does not immediately reverse the shift in global public opinion.