In shadow of war, Israelis to decide if hard-right turn is permanent

Jerusalem – Three years after suffering their deadliest single attack, Israelis will deliver their verdict on veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an Oct. 27 election that could decide if the country moves definitively into hard-right nationalism.

The trauma of Oct. 7, 2023, remains raw across Israel. Faded stickers bearing the haunting smiles of young people killed by Hamas cover station walls and lampposts, and at bustling restaurants, no one bats an eye as patrons dine with their assault rifles, now liberally allowed.

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister who polls show is in a tight race, is seeking a new mandate after leading a multifront regional war in response to Oct. 7, with Israel reducing Gaza to rubble, occupying part of Lebanon and, with U.S. help, bombarding Iran.

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