The Foreign Desk Is a liberal Israel recoverable and might that be the key to peace?
Aug 16, 2025
Nimrod Goran, President of MITVIM, Daniela Pellet, Managing Editor at the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, and Yossi Beilin, former Israeli politician, dive deep into Israel's political evolution. They discuss the decline of the Israeli left and its implications for the two-state solution, highlighting pivotal moments like Rabin's assassination. The conversation also reflects on how recent wars and a shift to far-right coalitions are reshaping democracy and public trust. Can a liberal Israel emerge again, and what would that mean for peace?
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Origins And Shift Of Israel's Political Identity
- Israel began as a broadly left-wing, socialist-rooted project with kibbutzim and Labour dominance until the late 1970s.
- International leftist sympathy shifted after Israel's wartime victories and changing global politics in the late 1960s and 70s.
Rabin Assassination As A Political Turning Point
- Rabin's assassination in 1995 marked a turning point that redirected Israel away from a liberal path.
- Nimrod Goran argues that the assassination altered the political trajectory with lasting consequences.
Coalition Politics And Personal Motives
- Netanyahu's legal troubles reshaped coalition choices and opened space for more extreme partners.
- Nimrod Goran links Netanyahu's need to avoid trial to alliances that damaged domestic institutions.