For many Israeli voters, concerns over Israel's public image take a back seat in election

Despite rising global hostility and Israel's image falling to historic lows, the issue of public diplomacy is barely factoring into the fast-approaching election on Oct. 27. Analysts say most voters prioritize security and the Oct. 7 attack, and many accept the argument that global opposition is driven by antisemitism regardless of Israel's actions.

Despite rising global hostility and Israel's image falling to historic lows, the issue of public diplomacy is barely factoring into the fast-approaching election on Oct. 27. A Pew poll found that across 36 countries, a median of 67% of adults held an unfavorable view of Israel. Analysts quoted in the article say most Israelis see the problem as beyond their control or are focused on more pressing issues like security and the Oct. 7, 2023 attack. Yaakov Katz of the Jewish People Policy Institute noted that many Israelis accept Prime Minister Netanyahu's argument that global opposition is driven by antisemitism regardless of Israel's actions. Ofir Dayan of INSS said voters are one-issue voters focused on security. Only a few parties, such as B'Yachad and Amcha Yisrael, have proposed public diplomacy plans. The article quotes several experts but no ordinary voters directly.