Thanks to Donna for adding the nuances. She's right; Covid has cast its pall over this like everything else, and the Kahanists on the far right have re-entered the picture.
There are two major differences between this election and the three in the past. First, the campaign is largely about administration--that is, how to balance public health needs without destroying the economy. The second difference results from the Likud's voting arrangement with Religious Zionism, now a party that includes two other parties deemed racist and homophobic. Although Netanyahu has tried to draw a distinction between asking for coalition support from Otzma Yehudit and Noam versus appointing their representatives to government offices, the arrangement, itself, joins them together and blurs what was once viewed as an important difference.
Thanks to Donna for adding the nuances. She's right; Covid has cast its pall over this like everything else, and the Kahanists on the far right have re-entered the picture.
There are two major differences between this election and the three in the past. First, the campaign is largely about administration--that is, how to balance public health needs without destroying the economy. The second difference results from the Likud's voting arrangement with Religious Zionism, now a party that includes two other parties deemed racist and homophobic. Although Netanyahu has tried to draw a distinction between asking for coalition support from Otzma Yehudit and Noam versus appointing their representatives to government offices, the arrangement, itself, joins them together and blurs what was once viewed as an important difference.