Israel Election Offers Little Hope for Regional Reset as Oct. 7 Doctrine Hardens
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 28
Israel Election Offers Little Hope for Regional Reset as Oct. 7 Doctrine Hardens
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 28
Summary
Israel’s election is not expected to deliver a regional reset, with analysts saying any winner would largely preserve the security doctrine hardened after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.
That doctrine centers on forward defense and military force — including pressure on Iran and Israeli-held buffer zones in Lebanon and Syria — rather than a return to diplomacy.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s re-election could still matter at the margins by emboldening a wider campaign against Iran and deeper entrenchment in occupied areas of Lebanon and Syria.
Palestinian statehood also remains remote regardless of the result, undercutting U.S.-backed efforts to expand Israel’s ties with Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia.
For Israel’s neighbors, the vote looks less like a strategic turning point than a decision over how far Israel may push an already confrontational regional posture.