"Look me in the eyes": How televised debates disappeared from Israeli elections

An investigative report on the disappearance of the tradition of televised debates between candidates for prime minister in Israel, since Benjamin Netanyahu's humiliating debate against Yitzhak Mordechai in 1999. The article reviews notable debates from the past, including Netanyahu's victory over Shimon Peres in 1996, and notes that despite repeated invitations, Netanyahu has avoided real debates since.

An investigative report on the disappearance of the tradition of televised debates between candidates for prime minister in Israel. The article begins with Yitzhak Mordechai's unforgettable quote to Benjamin Netanyahu in the 1999 debate: "Keep your cool, I know these outbursts of yours." 27 years have passed, and Netanyahu has not shown up for a real debate again. The article reviews the history of debates in Israel: the first debate between Menachem Begin and Shimon Peres in 1981, Netanyahu's victory over Peres in 1996, and the humiliating debate against Mordechai in 1999 that caused Netanyahu to avoid debates thereafter. In 2015, Netanyahu outmaneuvered Isaac Herzog in an improvised debate. The article notes that despite repeated invitations, including an invitation from Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot three weeks before the current elections, a real debate has not been seen since 2015. The tradition has been cut short, and the article ends on a nostalgic note for the days when debates were an integral part of the political system.