Israel’s Election Season: The Opening Shot (Re-release)

What do four political earthquakes in a single week – as the Knesset is on the brink of dissolving – reveal about the election that will define Israel's future?  In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi open Israel's election season by mapping the upheaval: the sudden formation of new parties, Gadi Eisenkot's rise to rival Likud as Naftali Bennett fades, a blitz of contentious legislation, and a government openly declaring it will defy the Supreme Court. Together they ask what Israelis actually want and whether this moment marks the true end of the Netanyahu era. A clear-eyed guide to the opening shot of the most consequential election in years.  This episode originally aired on July 8, 2026.  ----  Watch the video version of our podcast on our YouTube channel.   Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org.  For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST.  Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.  Here’s more from the Shalom Hartman Institute this week:  College students, apply now for the 2026 Edward Fein Winter Student Seminar!