Dotan Rousso: Israel is voting Tuesday. Here are the stakes

On Tuesday, Israelis will go to the polls in what may be the most emotionally charged election in the country’s history. Having grown up in Israel and witnessed its political battles for decades, I cannot recall another election in which the divisions were so personal, the accusations so devastating, and the consequences perceived as so existential.

For millions of Israelis, this election is no longer simply about political preferences. It is about moral responsibility for October 7, 2023, and the devastating years that followed.

Opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu do not merely disagree with his policies. Many hold him personally responsible for the catastrophic security failure that allowed Hamas to massacre Israeli civilians, and for decisions made during the subsequent war. They believe that Netanyahu, despite his extraordinary political abilities, has repeatedly placed his political survival above the national interest.

To them, his continued leadership represents not merely a political disappointment but a profound threat to Israel’s future.

The magnitude of this accusation becomes clearer when considering the human cost. According to Israeli government figures released this October, 1,318 members of the military and security services have died since October 7, alongside 1,029 civilians and foreign nationals murdered in terrorist attacks.

In a country of approximately 10 million people, these numbers are not abstractions. Israel is a small society, connected through families, friendships, military service, and an unusually powerful sense of collective responsibility. Almost everyone knows someone who was killed, wounded, or permanently changed by the war.

For me, this national tragedy is deeply personal.

My nephew, Ofek Rousso, was a 21-year-old naval commando and combat medic in Israel’s elite “Shayetet 13” unit (The IDF Naval Sea Commando). On October 7, he rushed with his comrades into Kibbutz Be’eri, where Hamas terrorists were massacring civilians. For hours, Ofek fought to rescue families trapped in their homes and treat the wounded.

At approximately 2:15 the following morning, he ran under enemy fire to save a critically wounded soldier. Ofek was shot and killed. The soldier survived.

At the cemetery, during the latest memorial ceremony for his son, my brother Yaniv concluded his speech with a statement that captures the extraordinary emotional intensity of this election: “If Netanyahu is elected again, Ofek’s ultimate sacrifice will have been in vain.”

One need not agree with Yaniv’s political conclusion to appreciate the depth of his anguish. For some bereaved families, this election has become inseparable from the meaning of their children’s sacrifice.

Yet another Israel exists, equally passionate and deeply committed to Netanyahu.

His supporters see an exceptionally capable leader who has demonstrated the courage to withstand international condemnation, diplomatic isolation, and relentless pressure to compromise Israel’s security. Many believe that, whatever his failures, no alternative leader possesses his experience, determination, or ability to confront Israel’s enemies. For them, replacing Netanyahu could expose Israel to dangerous concessions at the moment national resolve matters most.

What makes this election particularly remarkable, however, is that the differences between the competing camps are not necessarily greatest on the traditional questions of security and economics.

October 7 profoundly transformed Israeli attitudes toward the Palestinians. Across much of the political spectrum, confidence in negotiated peace has collapsed, and few politicians can realistically expect public support for territorial concessions perceived as jeopardizing national security.

The deepest disagreement, therefore, concerns something more fundamental: the character of Israeli democracy, the accountability of its leaders,  and the values that should define the country’s political culture. Israelis are being asked not only whom they trust to protect their country, but what kind of country they want to protect.

Democratic elections ordinarily determine who governs for the next several years. This one may determine how Israelis understand their collective responsibility, their national identity, and the meaning of the sacrifices they have endured.

For countless Israelis, and Jews watching anxiously around the world, October 27 will be far more than election day. It will be a judgment on the past and a choice about the future of the Jewish state.

Dr. Dotan Rousso is a philosophy faculty member in Canada, a legal scholar, a writer on ethics, media, and international affairs, and the author of After October 7: Being Jewish and Israeli Under Judgment.