Is it time for elections in Israel? - comment

For nearly half a year, Israelis have heard the reasonings against national elections in a time of war. These arguments, however, are now being questioned more than ever, and the query that has resulted is: Has the time come for elections?

The main argument – admittedly, the strongest – against elections right now is that the moment we decide to go back to the voting booths, members of the war cabinet and critical players in the government will suddenly push political agendas, thereby preventing cooperation. 

The argument, then, is that elections can harm the war cabinet and, therefore, the war effort as a whole. They can bring the political agendas of varying factions into security decisions as we near what seems to be the end of the Israel-Hamas war. Many, however, say that now is the time to ask the political questions in the war cabinet.

The argument among those calling for elections is that there should have been elections already when the systemic failure that was October 7 occurred. At that moment, when all of Israel’s defense systems failed to protect residents of the South from a massacre, they did not fail alone; it was the governments of the past decade and, namely, the party that has led most of the coalitions throughout the past decade that failed. 

Let us give them the benefit of the doubt for the sake of the argument. A war broke out, and it was time for action. It is impossible to hold elections with rockets constantly flying overhead.

Israel is now nearly half a year into the war, however, and people in the country do not understand how there are still soldiers in reserve service this long. They look at the reports coming out from the war effort and what appear to be dwindling operations, and the justification for pushing on in this war fades more and more for them every day. They want their soldiers back home, where rocket sirens are no longer a daily occurrence for the vast majority of Israelis.

Netanyahu's government has no interest in ending this war

Netanyahu’s government, in its political considerations, has no interest in ending this war with anything other than an absolute win: the destruction of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. They know they will be thrown off the political map if they cannot plan for total victory, but such a win is unlikely.

Are these not political considerations unto themselves? The answer is simple: This is the time for political considerations in the war cabinet for all parties involved.

If we were still at the start of the war, things would be different, but we are not. We are gradually nearing the war’s end, and the way to reach the finale is a hot topic. Some want to fight across the finish line; others wish to retreat. Unlike a marathon, the onlooking crowd – that is, the international public – sees those who hang back as the victors. These differing methods cannot be separated from the political ideologies with which they are inherently tied. So, the politicization of the war cabinet is unavoidable and warranted.

Indeed, our international credit is well overspent, and the worldwide community has given us more than the expected leeway until now. According to this perspective, if Israel pushes on any further in this operation, we can no longer claim that the arguments against Israel’s operation are borne of antisemitism; there will no longer be the argument of reasonableness for the fight Israel is pursuing. Israel will effectively be justifying the claims against itself.

When one of the most prominent Jewish people in the US government opposes Israel’s government and its choices in the war, the claim that anti-war sentiments are anti-Israel is put into question.

Indeed, last week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for an election in Israel to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning that if things continue, the US would have to take a more active role in achieving long-term peace. Schumer has been a long-time supporter of the State of Israel. This warning did not stem from hate but rather concern.

But even if we set all of that aside, Israel should focus on Lebanon when it comes to deciding whether it is time for elections. 

While we are still putting up a fight in Gaza, and we have more targets there, things have calmed down. However, a war against Lebanon would not be forced upon us; instead, it would be calculated. We would need to knowingly and willingly choose a war against Lebanon, and it would leave thousands dead on our side.

This government, its opposition claims, is not mandated to enter another war. They see any motion to move against Lebanon as naive and careless.

So, are elections overdue? It depends on where you stand. Logistically, since there are no longer constant barrages of rockets, we could conduct elections. Since we are now dealing with how to end the war, claiming that politics should stay out of the war cabinet no longer makes sense. How to end the war is a legitimate political consideration. 

Finally, we are on the precipice of a war against Lebanon, and we need a government we can trust to handle the Lebanon issue carefully and tactically above all. 

Now is the time to decide who that will be.

The writer is deputy editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post.