In this Netanyahu bastion, Israel's opposition is cautiously hopeful

LAURENCE GEAI/MYOP FOR LE MONDE World World World Israel Israel Israel In this Netanyahu bastion, Israel's opposition is cautiously hopeful By Luc Bronner (Dimona [Israel], special correspondent) Published today at 6:00 pm (Paris) 4 min read Lire en français Subscribers only Make us preferred on Google share Share on Messenger Share on Facebook Share by email Share on Linkedin Copy link Feature As the October 27 elections near, voters are largely making their decisions based on their views of the October 7, 2023, attack, divided between unwavering supporters of the prime minister and voters critical of the government's handling of the tragedy. Eden Abutbul doesn't have the shadow of a doubt. If the October 7, 2023, attack was so deadly for Israel, she believes it was the result of a conspiracy within Israel. "It's not Bibi's fault [the nickname for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu]. There were betrayals inside the army. People wanted to bring Bibi down," said the young woman, who works for a telecom company in Dimona, a city in southern Israel. This conspiracy theory, unsubstantiated by any evidence, continues to thrive among right-wing and far-right voters: six out of 10 voters supporting the current governing coalition believe it, according to a poll published in early September by the newspaper Maariv . Mysteriously, Abutbul hinted that "soon, there will be proof." She did not elaborate. Like her family and most of her friends, she is planning to vote for the prime minister's list for the October 27 elections. She's strongly convinced, even if it makes no sense, that "left-wing people are for terrorism." Three years after October 7, a significant part of Netanyahu's electorate remain loyal to their idol, a political compass who has served as prime minister for 19 years – far longer than David Ben-Gurion, the founder of the state of Israel. Eden Abutbul, at a shopping center in Dimona, September 14, 2026. LAURENCE GEAI/MYOP FOR LE MONDE Downtown Dimona, September 14, 2026. LAURENCE GEAI/MYOP FOR LE MONDE Yet, Netanyahu has undeniably lost many supporters. In November 2022, his list won 32 seats. Today, polls put him at between 20 and 22 seats, a loss of about a third of his electorate. What remains is the hardcore base, literally and figuratively, who cannot imagine Israel's future without the nearly 77-year-old politician. You have 75.66% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.