Israel's Election Deadlock: Why Gaza and the West Bank Were Absent from the Ballot

Despite one of the highest voter turnouts in decades, Israel's parliamentary election on October 27 resulted in a deadlock, with neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition nor the opposition alliance securing the necessary 61 seats for a majority. Netanyahu's camp secured 53 seats, five more than the main opposition bloc, while Arab parties achieved a record 19 seats but were sidelined from coalition talks. The results might seem surprising given the significant street protests against Netanyahu's judicial reforms and his ongoing corruption trial. Furthermore, the alleged failures preceding the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, which initiated Israel's war in Gaza, remain unaddressed amidst public pressure. The conflict has also led to increasing international isolation and regional tensions, including a joint US-Iran strike in February that impacted global energy markets.

Nevertheless, approximately 2.38 million Israelis voted for Netanyahu’s coalition, led by the Likud party, while 2.21 million supported the opposition. Crucially, neither Gaza nor the West Bank featured prominently in the election discourse. Analysts suggest this is because both alliances found common ground on these issues. Instead, the election focused on internal matters: the power of the judiciary, exemptions from military service for the ultra-Orthodox, and the government's alleged complicity in missing warnings before the October 2023 attacks.

Sociologist Yehouda Shenhav-Shahrabani noted that while many Israelis are aware of Gaza's devastation, they often fail to grasp its moral and political implications. He explained this disconnect as a