October 7 changed everything. So why are we heading into an election as if it didn’t?

I am not naïve enough to believe this will influence any politician. But writing it matters — because this election is genuinely pivotal, and I refuse to be a passive observer.

Some topics are non-negotiable, and I will not dwell on them because I simply will not vote for a party that falls short. These include a strong IDF; no concession of land, especially given where we find ourselves; and full democratic rights for minority citizens, including a serious response to the murder crisis they face. A strong leader, one our allies respect and our enemies think twice about challenging, belongs in this category too.

But there are issues that go beyond these basics. Issues of deeper debate, for me as a religious Zionist oleh from the UK, now here for 19 years, with a profound impact on my choices.

Whatever the eventual name of the commission or investigation, huge lessons must be learned and real structural changes must follow. The army has already admitted grave mistakes. We owe it to the dead, the bereaved, the wounded, and to the future security of this State to scrutinize honestly what happened, and not allow personal or political interest to obscure reality. If we miss this moment, we will not get another.

The real deals are done in back corridors, as minority parties trade gains for their own subgroups. After October 7, I am no longer prepared to dodge the draft.

I want Torah at the forefront of the State, and I want meaningful provision to continue for the very best to learn. This is core to who we are. But a blanket exemption from national duty for tens of thousands is indefensible when so many have bled. I attended two funerals for the children of friends. I have no more patience for this horse trade.

A workable, fair path forward is possible, but it will require thought, sensitivity, and genuine political courage. If we cannot seize this moment, we never will. I cannot vote for parties that let this continue.

I abhor racism in all its forms. Despite the very difficult circumstances Israel faces, I cannot support the lurch toward ultra-nationalism in parts of our community. This is not who we are, and it is not who we should become.

The how, not only the what.

The judicial reforms exposed something beyond the specific legal questions: a political culture of bulldozing, of treating opponents as enemies rather than citizens with legitimate grievances. I have views on the substance, some reforms were overdue, others were dangerous overreach, but the manner was indefensible regardless of where you stood. We have to start treating each other with respect again. Democracy is not only about outcomes. It is about process, restraint, and the willingness to be constrained by something larger than your own majority.

These are my red lines. I know they make it very hard to find a party to vote for, but I suspect I am far from alone.

I have a terminal illness. I hope I get the chance to vote. I cannot be active in politics. All I can do is hope that credible candidates emerge who can be trusted to follow through.

The world will be watching. But more importantly, our enemy is rearming. If we exhaust ourselves on internal intrigue and procedural arguments about the terms of a commission, we will squander the chance to prepare for what will almost certainly come again.

I may not find a home with any party. But that is my bar. And I am not lowering it.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)