Right and Left, Only Sand and Sand

Professor Guy Hochman argues in an opinion piece that the traditional division between right and left does not reflect the complexity of citizens' positions, and criticizes the negative campaign in the 2026 elections that erodes trust and increases emotional polarization without bringing in more votes.

Professor Guy Hochman, a behavioral economics expert from Reichman University, argues in an opinion piece that the traditional division between right and left in Israel does not reflect the complexity of citizens' positions. He criticizes the negative campaign conducted by parties in the 2026 elections, using artificial intelligence and videos that portray the opposing candidate in a terrible light. Hochman cites research that found ideological gaps have not grown significantly since 1992, but emotional polarization between the camps has reached a peak. He warns that the tendency to divide people into groups leads to out-group homogeneity and biased interpretation of reality. According to him, the negative campaign does not bring in more votes, but rather erodes trust in government and increases aversion among voters. He calls for reopening the discussion on what truly matters, instead of arguing over symbols and slogans.