Candidates representing 10 Israeli political parties took the stage at Jerusalem’s Begin Center on Sunday evening for an English-language election town hall that showcased civil political discourse ahead of the Oct. 27 election.
The event, organized by Israel365 News, an English-language news and commentary website focused on Israel and the Jewish world, drew a packed auditorium. Candidates from 10 parties with a realistic chance of entering the next Knesset participated in two panels.
Despite sharp disagreements over responsibility for the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre, military conscription, Gaza, Judea and Samaria and the future composition of Israel’s government, the discussion remained largely respectful.
Security, service and Gaza
Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli, representing Likud, emphasized Israel’s military achievements over the past three years in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.
He argued that Netanyahu had demonstrated an ability to withstand pressure from successive U.S. administrations and work effectively with President Donald Trump during the war with Iran. While acknowledging that the government had made mistakes, Chikli pointed to what he described as significant accomplishments in Judea and Samaria and its opposition to Palestinian statehood.
Asked why Israelis should vote again for Netanyahu, Chikli sharply criticized Bennett while describing Gadi Eisenkot as “a mensch” who nevertheless lacked the diplomatic and ministerial experience to lead the country. He said Likud would not sit in a coalition with Arab or Islamist parties.
Fleur Hassan-Nahoum represented Amcha Yisrael, led by former IDF Brig. Gen. Ofer Winter. She stressed that none of the candidates on the party’s list had served in the government on Oct. 7, while its members brought experience from the military and other fields.
Hassan-Nahoum said the party would place particular emphasis on national security and what she termed “narrative warfare”—countering efforts to delegitimize Israel abroad. She also said English-speaking olim (immigrants) should have a stronger voice in national decision-making.
Yishai Fleisher, representing Otzma Yehudit, highlighted what he described as the accomplishments of party leader Itamar Ben-Gvir as national security minister, including tougher prison conditions for terrorists, expanded civilian gun licensing and increased Jewish access to the Temple Mount.
Asked about Ben-Gvir’s provocative rhetoric and actions, Fleisher said they were intended to intimidate jihadists and deter unlawful behavior rather than appease Western critics.
MK Dan Illouz, who left Likud for Yisrael Beiteinu, argued that his former party had abandoned its traditional commitment to free markets to placate interest groups. He highlighted the economy and the low rate of haredi military enlistment as major campaign issues.
Illouz also cited party leader Avigdor Lieberman’s warnings before Oct. 7, while facing questions over Yisrael Beiteinu’s role in the series of elections that preceded the current political landscape.
Israel’s two haredi parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, did not participate in the event.
Moran Zer-Katzenstein of the Democrats focused on women’s rights and security while blaming the current government for the failures surrounding Oct. 7 and what she described as a broader deterioration in security. Describing herself as a left-wing Zionist, Zer-Katzenstein called for greater cooperation with Israel’s Arab population and an end to what she characterized as a state of perpetual war.
Mati Gill, representing the joint list headed by former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, emphasized public service and the principle that those who serve the state should be rewarded. He argued that too many Israelis remain exempt from military service. Asked why voters should again trust Bennett, he argued that the former premier’s fundamental policies had remained consistent despite changing political circumstances.
Moshe Feiglin of Zehut, running with the Religious Zionist Party, argued that Israel had lost touch with its Jewish identity. He called for Israel to conquer Gaza, remove its Arab population and permanently re-establish Jewish communities there.
Feiglin said preventing another Oct. 7 should take precedence over universal conscription and blamed successive Netanyahu governments for failing to repeal the Oslo Accords. A longtime libertarian, he also reiterated his support for reducing the size of government.
Competing visions for Israel
Former Labor and Independence Party lawmaker Einat Wilf represented the combined Reservists-Economic Party, stressing that the alliance does not belong to either of Israel’s traditional political blocs. She said Yoaz Hendel of the Reservists Party would push for universal conscription, while economist Yaron Zelekha would focus on breaking up cartels and monopolies and lowering the cost of living. Wilf said she wanted to “make Israel smart again.”
Asked whether the party belonged on the left or right, Wilf said it would join only a broad, firmly Zionist government with new leadership and fresh ideas.
Lianne Pollack-David, a candidate for Yashar, led by former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot, presented the new party as a vehicle for political change and renewal. Its candidates include former security officials, reservists, civil servants and local leaders.
Pollack-David called for the immediate establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding Oct. 7, saying Israelis needed to know the truth to ensure such a catastrophe could never happen again.
MK Ohad Tal, representing the Religious Zionist Party headed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, pointed to the establishment of new farms and communities in Judea and Samaria and the party’s campaign for Israeli sovereignty over the territory.
Tal said preventing the creation of a Palestinian state remained a priority and opposed the deployment of Jordanian or other foreign forces in the area.
Israel prides itself on being both a democracy and a Jewish state. On Sunday evening in Jerusalem, both ideals were on display.
