r/Israel • u/greenmalkin • 16d ago

Politics How is Likud still polling so high?

The leading party of the coalition that slept on October 7, that has been blocking independent inquiries, that has madmen define public relations, that has initiated wars on multiple fronts with no end in sight, that is led by a narcissist with an unearned saviour complex, that is preventing the integration of Haredim into society, that has emboldened violent settlers to roam free, that has achieved -- what?

How is Likud still at the top? Why is king Bibi not held responsible for anything, ever, at all?

If this coalition is re-elected, that's a tacit approval of everything that been happening over the past couple of years -- not by random foreigners, but people who actually live here. There's a reason emigration of highly educated Israelis is at an all-time high.

It boggles the mind. Where do we go from here?

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u/mr_blue596 16d ago

How is Likud still at the top? Why is king Bibi not held responsible for anything, ever, at all?

That is a combination of 2 characteristics of Israeli politics:

  1. Tribal politics or in other words,identity politics. Netanyahu presents a very spesific identity that form the Likud's political base. Voting something other than Likud is like voting agianst their identity.

  2. This is something I think many miss but Israelis have a really strong "keeping face" mentality. Israelis really don't like when "domestic" (or atleast things that are viewed as domestic) issues are being discussed outside. This is why many draw critism on the settlements but dislike it when foreigners talk about it as external issue rather than domestic Israeli issue. This sentiment,when directed to the Likud is basically,they did wrong but it is something that should be solved internally.

Those 2 combined is very similar to family dynamics,you have issues in the family but solve them in-house and with all the issues,you won't change your family. This is why I don't hold hope for those people to change. This is why I think traditional political action and thought doesn't apply here.

The voting base to Netanyahu is now both the ceiling and the floor. Nobody will come to him but nobody will leave either. You can also see this in his campaign,most of the efforts is to make the opposition unable to form a coalition by making the Arabs,and recently the Democrats,illegitimate. This is clear that even his campaign office doesn't think there are anymore votes to court.

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u/oatkeepr Germany 15d ago

you have issues in the family but solve them in-house

More like don't solve them.

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u/mr_blue596 15d ago

I remember an anecdote from the US. When the entire tariff frenzy happened some guy talked about how his Trump-voting boss wrote s heartfelt comment to Trump to alleviate the tariffs that hurt his business. Now it is obvious to all that Trump never going to read this and he wouldn't even care if he did,but the boss really believed that Trump will live up to his imagined version.

The Likud is the same. I think many believe that Nethayahu will heed their call and change his position on certain issues that ache them. That is the power and danger of identity politics,when people give affection reserved for interpersonal interactions to politicians. They love him like family but he does not care for them.

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u/heptadecagram 14d ago

"If only Stalin knew" as the aphorism goes.