Dotan Rousso: Israel is voting Tuesday. Here are the stakes

Pedestrians cross a road in front of an electoral banner for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party in the Israeli coastal city of Netanya, on October 23, 2026. Photo by JACK GUEZ /AFP via Getty Images

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On Tuesday, Israelis will go to the polls in what may be the most emotionally charged election in the country’s history. Having grown up in Israel and witnessed its political battles for decades, I cannot recall another election in which the divisions were so personal, the accusations so devastating, and the consequences perceived as so existential.

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For millions of Israelis, this election is no longer simply about political preferences. It is about moral responsibility for October 7, 2023, and the devastating years that followed.

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Opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu do not merely disagree with his policies. Many hold him personally responsible for the catastrophic security failure that allowed Hamas to massacre Israeli civilians, and for decisions made during the subsequent war. They believe that Netanyahu, despite his extraordinary political abilities, has repeatedly placed his political survival above the national interest.

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To them, his continued leadership represents not merely a political disappointment but a profound threat to Israel’s future.

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The magnitude of this accusation becomes clearer when considering the human cost. According to Israeli government figures released this October, 1,318 members of the military and security services have died since October 7, alongside 1,029 civilians and foreign nationals murdered in terrorist attacks.

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In a country of approximately 10 million people, these numbers are not abstractions. Israel is a small society, connected through families, friendships, military service, and an unusually powerful sense of collective responsibility. Almost everyone knows someone who was killed, wounded, or permanently changed by the war.

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For me, this national tragedy is deeply personal.

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My nephew, Ofek Rousso, was a 21-year-old naval commando and combat medic in Israel’s elite “Shayetet 13” unit (The IDF Naval Sea Commando). On October 7, he rushed with his comrades into Kibbutz Be’eri, where Hamas terrorists were massacring civilians. For hours, Ofek fought to rescue families trapped in their homes and treat the wounded.

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At approximately 2:15 the following morning, he ran under enemy fire to save a critically wounded soldier. Ofek was shot and killed. The soldier survived.

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At the cemetery, during the latest memorial ceremony for his son, my brother Yaniv concluded his speech with a statement that captures the extraordinary emotional intensity of this election: “If Netanyahu is elected again, Ofek’s ultimate sacrifice will have been in vain.”

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One need not agree with Yaniv’s political conclusion to appreciate the depth of his anguish. For some bereaved families, this election has become inseparable from the meaning of their children’s sacrifice.

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Yet another Israel exists, equally passionate and deeply committed to Netanyahu.