Voters prioritize security over Israel's global image

Israeli voters are expected to focus on security and domestic divisions during the October 27 election, according to political analysts. They say this focus outweighs concerns about the country's deteriorating international standing. The election takes place against a backdrop of heightened scrutiny regarding Israel's global image.

Recent reports of incidents involving Israelis abroad have contributed to domestic anxiety. In July, tourists in Montenegro were confronted by individuals who accused them of taking holidays from a genocide. An Israeli woman reported that a Greek restaurant denied her service based on her nationality. A mother stated that she and her daughter were beaten in Thailand after identifying themselves as Israeli. In the United States, a couple checking into a hotel in California was asked if they were baby killers.

These personal accounts align with wider statistical data on global opinion. A Pew survey conducted between February and May found that a median of 67 percent of adults across 36 countries viewed Israel unfavorably. More world leaders have described Israel's military operations in Gaza as disproportionate. Israeli government policies and unchecked settler violence in the West Bank have also led some countries, including allies, to distance themselves or impose sanctions.

Yaakov Katz, a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that criticism of the government's international explanation efforts has not become a major electoral concern. He noted that many Israelis accept Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's argument that hostility is rooted in antisemitism. Katz warned that the average Israeli may not fully appreciate the consequences of declining support, particularly in the United States, though they find reassurance in President Donald Trump's endorsement of Netanyahu.

Ofir Dayan, a senior fellow at Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies, said Israelis are aware of and troubled by foreign hostility. However, after more than three years of war, other concerns carry greater weight. She stated, "Israeli voters are very much one-issue voters, and the issue in this election is security." Peter Lerner, a former Israel Defense Forces international spokesman, similarly told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that foreign standing ranks behind divisions over Netanyahu and between the left and right.

Few of the roughly dozen parties expected to enter the Knesset have addressed the country's image or outlined public diplomacy proposals. B'Yachad, led by former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, has proposed a non-voting parliamentary observer focused on Diaspora Jewish issues. Amcha Yisrael, a new right-wing party led by former IDF Brig. Gen. Ofer Winter, includes public diplomacy activists Yoseph Haddad and Fleur Hassan-Nahoum among its candidates. Haddad has expressed interest in becoming public diplomacy minister.

Eylon Levy, a journalist and former government spokesman, said on the Waiting for 61 podcast that candidates generally approach public diplomacy through the lens of national interests. He described the far-right Otzma Yehudit Party's approach as emphasizing toughness. He criticized expectations on the left that more moderate conduct would quickly restore normal relations. Levy suggested that a change of government would be unlikely to transform international perceptions immediately, though a more moderate administration could receive a grace period.