Leaders | An unpalatable choice

Israel’s centrists should back Binyamin Netanyahu

It is a price worth paying to keep out the far right

TOPSHOT - Israel's ex-premier and leader of the Likud party Benjamin Netanyahu addresses supporters at campaign headquarters in Jerusalem early on November 2, 2022, after the end of voting for national elections. - Netanyahu inched towards reclaiming power after projected election results showed a majority government was within reach for the veteran right-winger, but the outlook could shift as ballots are counted. (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP) (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

Israel, more than most other Western democracies, demands extraordinary sacrifice from its citizens. Its army, which conscripts most Jewish-Israeli men and women and whose values permeate society, requires soldiers to run towards danger. Its officers are taught to lead from the front, no matter the personal risk. Now some of that same spirit may be required of centrist members of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in defence of the country’s liberal democracy.

This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Back Bibi. Seriously”

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