October 7 should have changed Israeli politics, yet we are voting for the same leaders - opinion

Marc Tobin argues that Israeli politics has not changed after October 7, with voters facing the same leaders—Netanyahu, Eisenkot, Bennett, and Liberman—who were part of the failed system. He calls for new parties like People of Israel, Haredi Public, and the Reservists-Economic Party, urging voters to choose fresh leadership.

With Israeli elections approaching, Marc Tobin argues that the political leadership has not changed despite the October 7 catastrophe. He criticizes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for bearing the greatest responsibility, but also holds former defense ministers and chiefs of staff—Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, and Avigdor Liberman—accountable for their roles in the system that failed. Tobin highlights equipment shortages faced by reservists after the attack, calling it an indictment of military preparedness. He presents three alternative parties: People of Israel, Haredi Public, and the Reservists-Economic Party, urging voters to consider new leadership rather than returning the same figures to power. The piece concludes with a call for a new beginning, quoting Ethics of the Fathers: 'If not now, when?'