Netanyahu's Election Slogan Echoes Past Campaigns Amid Factual Discrepancies
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's 2026 election campaign is using the slogan "Right or Palestine," mirroring his successful "Peres will divide Jerusalem" strategy from 1996. Analysis shows the slogan is being heavily promoted by Netanyahu and Likud members on social media. However, critics highlight that Netanyahu previously agreed to a plan that included a path to Palestinian statehood, contradicting his current campaign message. The strategy aims to shift focus from domestic issues and the aftermath of the October 7th attacks.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Benjamin Netanyahu's 2026 campaign uses "Right or Palestine," echoing his 1996 "Peres will divide Jerusalem" slogan.
- A study shows Netanyahu is responsible for 72% of social media engagement with the "Right or Palestine" slogan.
- Critics point out Netanyahu signed the 2025 Trump plan, which included a path to Palestinian statehood.
- The slogan aims to consolidate right-wing voters and deflect from issues like the October 7th massacre.
- The "Right or Palestine" message gained traction after the October 7th attacks, with 38% of Israelis reporting a shift rightward.
Ahead of the 2026 elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's campaign is employing the slogan "Right or Palestine," a message analyzed as a modern iteration of the "Peres will divide Jerusalem" slogan used by Netanyahu in the 1996 elections. This strategy aims to consolidate right-wing voters by framing the election as a binary choice, a tactic that proved successful three decades ago.
In 1996, Netanyahu, then a younger politician, leveraged public fears surrounding the Oslo Accords and a wave of terror attacks with the "Peres will divide Jerusalem" message. This resonated with a public concerned about the peace process and security, helping him narrowly defeat Shimon Peres. Today, while there is no active peace process, a significant portion of the Israeli public has shifted rightward following the October 7th attacks, making the "Right or Palestine" slogan relevant again.
A study of over 2,800 social media posts from Knesset members and candidates between October 2023 and October 2026 revealed that the "Palestine" discourse intensified in the months leading up to the election campaign. While Minister Amichai Chikli first used the phrase in July, Netanyahu adopted it as his central message in late September, with coordinated posts from Likud members amplifying the slogan. Netanyahu himself is credited with 72% of the engagement surrounding the phrase.
However, the article points out a factual discrepancy: Netanyahu himself signed onto the 21-point Trump plan in October 2025, which included provisions for a "path to Palestinian self-determination and a state." This contradicts the current campaign message, as critics like Avigdor Lieberman and Ofer Vinter argue that Netanyahu is the one who has legitimized the possibility of a Palestinian state, despite his public stance.
Other political leaders, including Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, and Yair Lapid, have publicly stated their opposition to a Palestinian state. The campaign's strategy appears to be deflecting from issues like the October 7th massacre, the cost of living, and the alliance with Haredi parties, by focusing on a security-oriented, binary choice.
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