Israel's Political Drift Rightward Predates October 7, Analyst Says

Three years after the October 7 attacks, Israeli society has continued a pronounced political shift to the right, a trajectory that has increasingly marginalized voices advocating for a negotiated settlement with the Palestinians. In a video report published by Al Jazeera's NewsFeed program, correspondent Nour Odeh examined the forces driving this transformation and argued that its roots stretch back well before the 2023 Hamas-led assault that triggered the current war in Gaza.

Odeh's central contention is that the rightward movement of Israeli politics is not simply a reaction to the trauma of October 7, but rather the culmination of long-term structural, demographic and ideological trends that have been building for years. Understanding that longer timeline, she suggested, is essential to grasping why calls for diplomacy and a two-state solution have faded from mainstream Israeli discourse.

The report, published on the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks, frames the shift as a defining feature of contemporary Israeli politics. The date itself carries heavy symbolic weight: the anniversary has become a moment for reflection on how the country's political landscape has been reshaped since the attacks, which left roughly 1,200 people dead and saw around 250 others taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

In the years since, Israeli governments have been dominated by right-wing and religious-nationalist parties that oppose Palestinian statehood and support expanded settlement construction in the occupied West Bank. Odeh's analysis situates this phenomenon within a broader regional and domestic context, noting that the political center and left have steadily lost ground in the Knesset and in public opinion.

One key factor behind the drift, according to the report, is the erosion of public faith in the peace process. Decades of failed negotiations, continued settlement expansion, and periodic eruptions of violence have convinced many Israelis that a negotiated settlement with the Palestinians is neither achievable nor desirable. That skepticism has been exploited and amplified by political leaders who frame territorial compromise as a security risk.

Demographic change has also played a role. Israel's population has grown increasingly diverse, with religious and ultra-Orthodox communities — which tend to vote for right-wing and religious parties — expanding at a faster rate than secular, more liberal segments of society. Over time, this has translated into a durable electoral advantage for the right, reshaping the composition of the Knesset and the priorities of successive coalitions.

The report also points to the influence of the settlement enterprise and its political allies. Settler leaders and their supporters have become a powerful lobby within Israeli politics, pushing for policies that entrench control over the West Bank and making any future withdrawal politically costly. Mainstream parties that once supported territorial concessions have largely abandoned that position to avoid alienating this growing constituency.

October 7 accelerated these trends rather than creating them. The attacks produced a deep sense of national trauma and insecurity, which the political right channeled into a hardline posture toward Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and other regional adversaries. In the aftermath, voices calling for restraint or renewed diplomacy were drowned out by demands for military decisiveness and retribution.

The subsequent war in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians according to local health authorities, further polarized Israeli public opinion. While some Israelis have questioned the government's handling of the hostage crisis and the war's strategic direction, the broader political effect has been to strengthen nationalist sentiment and weaken the already fragmented left.

Odeh's report also highlights the role of media and political discourse in normalizing right-wing positions. In recent years, once-fringe ideas — such as annexing parts of the West Bank, opposing Palestinian statehood outright, and questioning the legitimacy of human rights organizations — have moved into the mainstream. This shift in the boundaries of acceptable debate has made it harder for centrist and leftist politicians to build coalitions around diplomatic engagement.

Internationally, the shift has strained Israel's relationships with some of its traditional allies. Criticism from the United Nations, the European Union and even segments of the United States political establishment has grown, particularly over settlement expansion, civilian casualties in Gaza, and the conduct of Israeli forces. Yet, paradoxically, external pressure has often reinforced the domestic narrative that Israel is isolated and must rely on itself.

The marginalization of voices calling for a political settlement carries significant implications. Without a credible domestic constituency for negotiations, the prospects for a two-state solution — already dim — grow even more remote. That, in turn, makes renewed cycles of violence more likely, as the underlying conflict remains unresolved and the rights of millions of Palestinians remain in limbo.

The report also raises questions about the future of Israeli democracy itself. As the political spectrum narrows and dissent is increasingly framed as disloyalty, concerns have grown about the health of democratic institutions, judicial independence and the protection of minority rights. These anxieties were visible in the mass protests that gripped Israel in 2023 over proposed judicial reforms.

Looking ahead, Odeh's analysis suggests that the rightward shift is unlikely to reverse in the near term. Barring a major political realignment or a dramatic change in regional dynamics, Israeli politics appears set to remain dominated by nationalist and religious parties for the foreseeable future. The question, she implies, is not whether the shift occurred, but how far it will go — and what it means for Israelis, Palestinians and the wider region.

The video segment was published as part of Al Jazeera's NewsFeed program, which regularly features short explainer-style reports on regional and international politics. The outlet's coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict has been a recurring focus, alongside related stories on detainee abuse, Israeli legislation and international flotilla campaigns aimed at challenging the siege of Gaza.