With elections in Israel happening sometime in the next year and a half, it is time for the Israeli public to start thinking about what we need from the people and parties that want to govern in a post-October 7, 2023, Israel.
Israelis have endured three years of relentless pressure. Massive street protests over the proposed judicial reform. A catastrophic Hamas attack in the South. War and evacuations in the North. Missiles from Iran. Hostages still held in Gaza. Endless miluim (reserve duty) that has disrupted lives our reservists’ lives.
We need real, detailed proposals from politicians and would-be politicians who want to be elected to the next Knesset – not more empty slogans and social media soundbites that chase retweets, clicks, and “likes”.
After all, we are the Start-Up Nation; we can handle plans and information, and make educated decisions on who is best to lead our country.
As this election cycle begins, Israelis must demand real answers from those who aspire to lead. Serving in the Knesset should not be a reward for party loyalty or for what you did in the past. We need the best and the brightest, people ready to work hard for the public, not themselves.
What we need to know:
What are your concrete plans to move Israel forward?
No narratives, no blame games, but real policies: Will you address the housing crisis? How will you invest in education, boost productivity, and support innovation?
Will you commit to the structural reforms that Israel urgently needs?
- Judicial reform: We need balanced reform, not destruction of the existing system. Checks and balances must be restored. The unchecked powers of the attorney-general must be addressed.
- Universal national service: Every Israeli must contribute. No more exemptions that divide society; no more of the 80% supporting the 20%.
- Educational reform for the 21st century: Every child in this country deserves an educational system that equips them with the skills, knowledge, and adaptability required to thrive in an AI-driven world. Our educational system must be reimagined to meet the reality and demands of the 21st century.
- Chief Rabbinate reform: Rebuild it as a Zionist institution, first and foremost – an institution that connects the majority of Israelis to Judaism in a positive way instead of alienating them. The rabbinate needs to be an institution that solves the halachic challenges instead of manufacturing new ones.
- Affordable housing: Produce a real plan that provides affordable housing options, especially for the generation that dropped everything on October 7 to save the country.
- Tax relief and cost of living: We need concrete plans to lower consumer prices and ease the tax burden.
- A miluim bill: October 7 reservists have given everything to this country, some serving more than 300 days to date. It’s time for the state to devise a plan that gives back to them in a meaningful way.
- Knesset reform: End the abuse of coalition manipulation that forces early elections. Every party has abused this loophole. It must stop.
- Ban MK poaching midterm: Switching sides mid-Knesset term disrespects voters and undermines democracy. It was wrong when the Rabin government did it in order to pass Oslo II, and it was wrong when the Netanyahu-led opposition did it to bring down the Lapid-Bennett government.
- Four-year Knesset terms: Stability matters. The opposition should present a credible alternative to the government, but not see its raison d’etre to bring down the government. We need stability and cross-aisle cooperation, not constant back-biting.
Leaders need real plans on these issues
These are not simple issues. I know I am not offering the solutions, but our aspiring leaders must provide serious plans if they want our vote. Without real plans, they should not be running.
Regarding the “Bibi question”: The reflexive “We won’t sit with Bibi” chorus, joined most recently by Naftali Bennett, has become a political crutch.
Is it principled to preemptively block Israel’s largest Zionist party from being part of a coalition? All this strategy has done in the past is to empower extremists and sideline the vast majority of Israelis. “We won’t sit with Bibi” is not a platform. It’s a cop-out.
To the Likud, what exactly do you stand for? Explain why your proposed policies will not threaten our democracy. Explain what type of state commission you support to investigate the root causes of October 7.
Do you support blanket exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox? Will you continue the welfare model for 20% of the population? Do you aim to neuter the courts completely or reform them responsibly? Will you crack down on the Jewish vigilantes in Samaria, who continually threaten the rule of law?
Be honest with us, we can handle it.
People such as Bennett and Gadi Eisenkot, and others who aspire to be the next prime minister, need to give us a compelling reason to vote for them other than that they are not Benny Gantz, Yair Lapid, or Benjamin Netanyahu? Tell us in detail what you will do to be a good prime minister, not just what you won’t do. What you have done in the past is not relevant to us; it is the future that counts.
To all mainstream Zionist parties, this is your moment. To meet our challenges, Israel needs a broad national leadership coalition that rises above sectarian interests.
We don’t need everyone to agree on everything. Yet, we must fix the major issues together, based on positions that unite the vast majority of Israelis. We can no longer afford to have a small majority impose controversial ideological policies on a significant percentage of the nation.
Stop telling us who you won’t sit with and why other people’s policies are not good.
The time is now to start telling us what you’ll do to build up our society and help us move forward.
The writer is the managing partner of Dekel Capital Management and a resident of Beit Shemesh who made aliyah 27 years ago. An avid Zionist, he cares deeply about the future of the State of Israel and the Jewish people.