Young Israeli voters lean right, as election puts Netanyahu to the test

For Israeli voters, “leaning right” means favoring parties and politicians associated with a right-wing government, Jewish national identity, and strong security policies. The far right represents a more hard-line version of those priorities. This matters because young voters are moving rightward compared with older Jewish adults.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud is a major right-wing choice. Itamar Ben-Gvir, national security minister and leader of Otzma Yehudit, is identified with the far right. Young voters Shahar, Noa, and Rei all mentioned Netanyahu or Ben-Gvir as possible choices. Noa said she wanted “a right-wing country, a Jewish country.”

Their support shows how security and identity shape this election. Rei favored Ben-Gvir partly because of a death-penalty law for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks. The article also mentions centre-right alternatives, including Naftali Bennett and Gadi Eisenkot, so “right” is not one single political position.

The first-time voter group is substantial: about 600,000 Israelis are eligible to vote for the first time in Tuesday’s election. Their preferences could matter in a closely contested parliamentary race, especially because Israel’s 120-seat Knesset is elected through party voting and coalition formation.

A September poll of Jewish first-time voters aged 18 to 22 found that 74 percent identified as right-wing or centre-right. Among the wider Jewish adult population, the comparable figure was 67 percent. The gap is seven percentage points, showing a stronger rightward tilt among younger Jewish voters.

This does not mean every young voter supports the same party. Some interviewed voters favored Netanyahu or Ben-Gvir, while others considered Bennett, Eisenkot, or the Democrats. Still, the figures suggest that security-focused and right-wing parties may have a particularly strong base among new voters entering the electorate.

The attacks by Hamas on 7 October 2023 and the three years of war that followed became defining experiences for many young Israelis. The article describes this as a generation shaped by violence and prolonged conflict. For some, that experience strengthens support for parties promising tougher security measures.

Rei, a 21-year-old doing compulsory military service, said he would probably vote for the right-wing bloc and Ben-Gvir because “with him, it’s about security.” He welcomed a March law making death the default sentence in military courts for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks against Israelis. Ben-Gvir supported that measure.

Other young people drew different conclusions from the same period. Amit called the death penalty racist and planned to vote centre right against the governing coalition. The conflict therefore pushes some voters rightward, but it does not produce one uniform response. Security remains central, while demands for political change also persist.

A majority in Israel’s 120-seat Knesset requires control of more than half the seats. If no party reaches that threshold alone, the election does not produce a government automatically. Parties must negotiate and join together in a governing coalition.

The article says no single party has ever won a majority. Voters choose parties rather than individual candidates, and seats are distributed according to each party’s share of the vote. That means several parties can win representation, but none may have enough seats to govern independently.

The consequence is bargaining after the vote. Parties must decide which partners can support a government and its policies. The current coalition is led by Netanyahu’s Likud, while opposition figures such as Bennett, Lapid, Eisenkot, and Golan seek a different governing arrangement. The election can therefore change power through alliances, even if no party wins outright.

Benjamin Netanyahu is the leader of Likud and has been prime minister for much of the young voters’ lives. He served continuously from 2009 to 2021 and returned to power in late 2022. Itamar Ben-Gvir is national security minister and leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit, or Jewish Power, party.

Naftali Bennett occupies a different position. The article describes him as a liberal right-wing politician from the anti-Netanyahu camp and a former prime minister. He is running with opposition leader Yair Lapid on the Beyachad, or Together, list. Gadi Eisenkot is a former Israeli army chief and one of Netanyahu’s main election rivals. He founded the centrist Yashar party in 2025.

These figures span the right, far right, centre, and anti-Netanyahu camp. Their differences concern both ideology and leadership. Some young voters prioritize security and a right-wing government, while others want a centre or centre-right alternative without Netanyahu.

The election could change Israel’s government because voters may give enough seats to parties that can build a coalition without Netanyahu. He has been prime minister since 2009, except for the period from 2021 until returning in late 2022. For many young voters, he has been the country’s dominant political leader since childhood.

The opposition is not a single party. Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid are running together on the Beyachad list. Gadi Eisenkot leads the centrist Yashar party, while the Democrats seek to strengthen a bloc for change. Sharon said she wanted a government that was not led by Netanyahu, and Rotem said the country needed change.

The outcome depends on seats and coalition agreements, not simply on which individual wins. If anti-Netanyahu parties collectively gain enough support and cooperate, they could form a government. If they cannot, Netanyahu’s Likud-led coalition may remain in power.

Proportional representation is a voting system in which parties receive legislative seats in proportion to the votes they win. In Israel, voters select a party rather than an individual candidate. The system is used to fill all 120 Knesset seats.

For example, a party that wins a larger share of the national vote receives more seats, while smaller parties can also gain representation. Because seats are spread across several parties, one party usually cannot control more than half the Knesset. The article states that no single party has ever won a majority.

That structure makes coalition-building central to government. Parties must team up after the election to pass the majority threshold and govern. They need agreements on leadership and policy, including security, identity, and issues such as military-service exemptions. The election therefore determines not only party strength, but also which alliances can govern.