Security beats global image for Israel voters

Israeli voters are entering the Oct. 27 election with security as their primary concern, largely sidelining the country's deteriorating reputation abroad. While reports of harassment against Israelis overseas have increased, analysts say the issue ranks below the immediate threats facing the nation.

A Pew poll conducted between February and May this year found that a median of 67% of adults across 36 countries hold an unfavorable view of Israel. This diplomatic chill coincides with growing hostility from world leaders, who have described Israel's military action in Gaza as disproportionate and have imposed sanctions or pulled back support.

Incidents of harassment have become frequent in the news. In July, Israeli tourists in Montenegro were confronted by locals who asked them to stay in Israel. In Greece, a restaurant reportedly refused service to an Israeli woman, while a mother and daughter were beaten in Thailand after disclosing their nationality. In the US, an Israeli couple in California was called "baby killers" by hotel staff.

Yaakov Katz, a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that many Israelis view the global image problem as beyond their control. He noted that the argument that the world is against Israel regardless of its actions is widely accepted because it contains a grain of truth.

"People accept that argument, and to a large extent, they don't push back on it. Why? Because part of it is true, right?" Katz said. He added that many Israelis believe antisemitism would rise even if the death toll in Gaza were lower, suggesting that the average citizen does not fully grasp the existential consequences of declining support.

Ofir Dayan, a senior fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, agreed that Israelis are aware of the situation abroad. However, she stated that the country has been grappling with more than three years of war, making other issues less pressing. "Israeli voters are very much one-issue voters, and the issue in this election is security," Dayan said.

Former IDF spokesman Peter Lerner described Israel's international standing as secondary to two main questions: whether Benjamin Netanyahu remains in power and the balance between the left and right. He observed that while candidates talk about these core issues, global image rarely dominates the conversation.

Only a few parties have proposed specific plans to address the diplomatic crisis. The B'Yachad Party, led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, proposes elevating Diaspora Jewry by allowing a non-voting observer in the Knesset to focus on these ties. Meanwhile, the right-wing Amcha Yisrael party lists two prominent public diplomacy activists, Yoseph Haddad and Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, who have expressed interest in leading the ministry.