Witnessing the death of hope in Jerusalem

The fascistic messianic right declared its grip over the Israeli Jewish psyche in this week’s elections. Now, a political crisis awaits liberal Zionists and the United States

By Philip Weiss | Mondoweiss | Nov 2, 2022

“There will be a third intifada,”
— shopkeeper in East Jerusalem

It was hard not to witness the death of hope in Jerusalem on Tuesday night. Those who held out hope that the Israeli system would somehow resist the right, and exhibit tolerance — that hope was dashed by the Israeli election, in which the fascistic messianic right declared its grip over the Israeli Jewish psyche.

Exit polls show the explicitly-anti-Palestinian party Religious Zionism at 13 or 14 seats in the parliament, making it the third largest party. When official votes are released, the party will likely be in position to put the largest vote-getter, Benjamin Netanyahu, whose right-wing Likud Party polls at about 31 seats, back in the prime minister’s job after 18 months absence.

“There will be a third intifada,” a shopkeeper in East Jerusalem told me. “This is a very bad night, Balad doesn’t look like it will make it,” a bookdealer said, referring to the anti-Zionist Palestinian party that is currently below the 3.25 percent cutoff for representation in the parliament.

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