EXPERT COMMENT
A more centrist coalition government would respect the rule of law, but its ability to advance peace will be far from guaranteed.
In the aftermath of 7 October, the common mantra in Israeli politics is that things can neither go back to how they were the previous day, nor should they. To a large extent this is correct, not only in terms of relations between Israelis and Palestinians, but also regarding the domestic scene in both societies.
However, the underlying predicaments remain the same, except that now they are more severe and need to be resolved more urgently. They must also be addressed in a far more challenging context, following the horrendous Hamas terrorist attack that has shredded Israel's security strategy towards that Islamist movement, and in the midst of the gravest political, constitutional, and domestic crisis in Israel's history.
To meet this challenge Israel will need to do more than vote out Netanyahu at the end of the war. Its society will have to create new political realignments, featuring fresh voices from across society, to rejuvenate its democracy and make real progress towards a two-state solution - and the long-term peace that has been denied to Israelis and Palestinians for so long.
Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.