Do Israelis care about settler violence enough to change their vote?

Do Israelis care about settler violence enough to change their vote?

August 31, 2026 · 37 min · Season 1 · Episode 535

About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of settler violence on Israeli voters and the political landscape ahead of the elections.

Nothing is helping Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s current coalition boost its standing in the polls, and it is clear that the premier is “panicking,” said Haaretz columnist Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin , speaking on the Haaretz Election Podcast.  Scheindlin joins Haaretz correspondent Judy Maltz and host Allison Kaplan Sommer to discuss the entrance of a new right-wing party led by ex-general Ofer Winter into the race, joining the plethora of “pop-up” right-wing parties that are causing Netanyahu’s alarm at the possibility that one or more will fall under the electoral threshold, and the precious votes in his camp will be wasted. "Netanyahu is begging the right wing not to fragment the parties. He's warning the right wing: If you do the wrong thing, the entire world explodes," Scheindlin said, ahead of the September 8 deadline for merging with other parties and submitting final lists. On the podcast, Maltz shares what she’s found as she visits cities and towns around Israel taking the pulse of voters. Kiryat Shmona – Israel’s most targeted city, devastated by three years of war – is still grappling with the 2023…

More episodes of Haaretz Podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Haaretz Podcast podcast page.