2022 Year in Review

A C O N T R O V E R S I A L R I G H T - W I N G V I C T O R Y
The victory comes at a controversial
time for Netanyahu. Although
Netanyahu has undertaken
celebrations as the newly appointed
Prime Minister, he has recently been
charged with bribery, fraud and
breach of trust, all of which he
refutes.
Additionally, support for Netanyahu’s
new government from the Religious
Zionism party and its primary
candidate Itamar Ben-Gvir has
generated significant concern from
Western analysts who speculate Israel
could be heading toward its most
extremist government to date.
Ben-Gvir is positioned to become
Israel's Minister for National Security,
traditionally held by those committed
to public safety and the rule of law.
However, in 2007, Ben-Gvir was
convicted of incitement to racism as
well as his support of a terrorist
organisation. This support is
evidenced by his devotion to the
former leader of the Katch party, Meir
Kahane, whose party was deemed a
terrorist organisation by the United
States. Ben-Gvir's history and public
views on Palestinians lead one to
believe that a shift towards a more
nationalistic Israel is inevitable.
Further, the Religious Zionist success
can be attributed to Israeli youth
becoming increasingly right-wing. The
Israeli Democracy Index 2018
highlights that roughly 64% of Jewish
Israelis aged 18-34 identify as rightwing.
This statistic contrasts with the
47% of Israelis aged 35 and over that
identify as the same.
The recent threats by Hamas, a
movement governing over two million
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, may
have further exacerbated right-wing
tendencies. The attempted evictions
of Palestinian people in 2021,
amongst other acts in Jerusalem,
sparked violent actions by Hamas,
potentially prompting increasing fears
among Israel's impressionable youth.
Furthermore, voters see the unity
government formed by right-wing
politician Naftali Bennett as a betrayal
of Israeli sovereignty.
The desire for right-wing policies
amongst Israeli youth was so strong
that Netanyahu came out on top
despite battling bribery, fraud and
breach of trust charges.
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