Israel's Election Campaign Muted Amid 'Anesthesia' Strategy

With election day approaching, Israel's political landscape is unusually quiet, a phenomenon attributed by analysts to a deliberate "anesthesia" campaign strategy, particularly by the opposition. Channel 12's Daphna Liel and election strategist Moshe Klugman suggest this approach aims to avoid provoking the ruling coalition and to maintain the opposition's base, which they believe is already motivated. Polls indicate a significant portion of opposition voters do not see the need for large-scale protests ahead of the election.

Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot is reportedly employing a low-key campaign, holding solid rallies across the country. Klugman posits this is a conscious effort to appear non-threatening to right-wing voters, potentially encouraging some to stay home and thus weakening Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's support. In contrast, Naftali Bennett is actively engaging with potential opponents in their strongholds, seeking confrontation.

Klugman describes Bennett's campaign as innovative but notes it faces a "drinking machine" strategy, urging voters to support larger parties for a decisive outcome. This "big party" campaign, targeting both Eisenkot and Netanyahu, aims to draw votes from smaller parties to the larger ones, bolstering the main bloc leaders. A survey shows a majority of voters believe it's important to vote for a major party within their preferred bloc.

Liel suggests Eisenkot's strategy might be to entice Netanyahu into a similar move, potentially weakening smaller parties in the right-wing bloc below the electoral threshold, which could gain Eisenkot significant mandates. Meanwhile, smaller parties like Telem and Yisrael Beiteinu face risks of losing mandates, as their supporters are influenced by the "big party" message without realizing it.

Disappointment among voters is noted, with Yair Lapid and Yair Golan cited by opposition voters, and Ofir Winter by coalition voters. Winter's campaign has been hampered by past statements from his running mate, Yosef Haddad, supporting a Palestinian state, and by Netanyahu's alleged efforts to distance himself from Winter.

Netanyahu's campaign focuses on the message "Right or Palestine," while the opposition employs multiple messages, including healing, accountability for the October 7th failures, and issues related to the Haredi community, catering to a diverse voter base. The possibility of a minority government, potentially enabled by Ra'am's abstention, shows divided opinions among both coalition and opposition voters.

The election cycle is also marked by the rise of AI-generated campaign materials, which Liel warns could be misused for disinformation. Klugman notes a public craving for authenticity amidst the digital campaigns, impacting traditional printing businesses that have seen a decline in election-related orders.