If the Israeli Left wants to govern and strengthen Israeli democracy, it needs a different political culture – one that listens more, broadens representation, and builds relationships across social divides. 

It is election season in Israel, and there is a growing sense of optimism among the centre, liberal, democratic, and anti-Netanyahu camps. Many believe that a political transition could open a new chapter for the country.

I cannot fully share that optimism.

A political movement cannot build a future by speaking only to people who already share its assumptions. Much of the Israeli left has developed a political language centred on liberal democracy, institutions, and checks and balances. Yet many Israelis experience institutions such as the Supreme Court differently. They associate them with distance, elitism, and decision-makers who seem disconnected from their daily lives. While political debates often revolve around constitutional principles, many citizens are asking a simpler question: Does this system see me? Does it represent people like me? 

This disconnect is also shaped by who has occupied Israel’s positions of power. Politics, the military, and the economy form interconnected elite networks, with many individuals moving between them and continuing to shape public life long after leaving office. The erosion of public trust is therefore also a failure of those who have repeatedly held responsibility for the country’s direction.

Yet the current opposition largely offers familiar faces from these same circles. One of its leading figures is Gadi Eisenkot, a former IDF Chief of Staff. The leader of the largest liberal-democratic party is Yair Golan, another former senior military officer who was once considered a potential army chief before his controversial speech ended that possibility.........

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