After Netanyahu or After His Policies

An opinion article warns that removing Netanyahu's government in Israeli elections does not guarantee change without a fundamental shift in policies. The writer argues that the Palestinian issue is absent from the campaign but present in the background, and that the elections are between a camp wanting to continue occupation and annexation and another that may adjust policies to reduce international costs without a comprehensive settlement.

This opinion article discusses the Israeli elections, warning that removing the current government of Benjamin Netanyahu does not guarantee a different path of transformation unless accompanied by a fundamental change in the policies that have led Israel to its current state. The article notes that the Palestinian issue is absent as a central topic from these elections, but remains present in the background. It cites balanced Israeli analyses that view the October 7 attack and the subsequent war as proof of the limited effectiveness of Israel's and successive Netanyahu governments' reliance on keeping the conflict under control without addressing its political causes. The article sees the elections as between a camp seeking to continue policies of deepening occupation and annexation, and a camp that may work to modify some of these policies to reduce their international cost, without necessarily implying the adoption of a comprehensive political settlement or recognition of the Palestinian people's right to an independent state. It mentions that Netanyahu promotes the option of continuing settlement expansion and annexation, and continuing to crowd a million Gaza Palestinians into camps for the displaced.

After Netanyahu or After His Policies