What's at Stake in Israel's First Election Since October 7?

Podcast Deep Dish on Global Affairs Podcast
Israel is preparing for its first national election since the October 7 attacks. RAND's Shira Efron explains what's at stake and how the outcome could change Israel's approach to Gaza and the West Bank.
Israeli Elections Play Podcast
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About The Episode

Three years after the October 7 attacks, RAND’s Shira Efron says Israel is “still in the trauma phase.” With the country now heading into its first national election since the attacks, what could the outcome mean for Gaza and the West Bank? Efron explains what’s at stake, why Israel is facing growing pressure at home and abroad, and whether a new government could put the country on a different path.

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About the Experts
Shira Efron
Distinguished Chair for Israel Policy, RAND
Shira Efron Headshot
Shira Efron is RAND's distinguished chair for Israel Policy. A leading expert in Israeli and Middle Eastern affairs, Efron brings two decades of experience in policy analysis and research, having previously led RAND's Israel Program from 2016 to 2022. She also held roles at the Center for American Progress, the Middle East Institute, and the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, and was a consultant for the United Nations Country Team in Jerusalem, where she focused on Gaza.
Shira Efron Headshot
Leslie Vinjamuri
President & Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Leslie Vinjamuri headshot
Dr. Leslie Vinjamuri joined the Council in 2025 as the president and chief executive officer, after previously serving as director of the US and the Americas program at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, known as Chatham House, in London. She is Professor of Practice in International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS University of London.
Leslie Vinjamuri headshot
Issues Geopolitics
Regions Middle East and North Africa
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