Ahead of the expected elections in about six months, data from the "Israeli Society Index" for May 2026 reveals deep ideological gaps regarding the rules of the democratic game.
The index examined how Israelis would respond if the political side they support loses the elections, and the results point to a severe crisis of trust, especially on the left side of the political map.
The data shows that as voters move further left on the political scale, their ability to accept defeat declines significantly.
Among the left-wing camp, no less than 81% of respondents defined an election loss as an "intolerable" event, while virtually none declared that they would respect any decision by the public. In the center-left camp, the situation is similar, with 62% viewing defeat as an intolerable situation.
By contrast, among the right-wing and center-right camps, a more pragmatic and statesmanlike approach was recorded. Nearly half of respondents on the right (47%) defined a possible loss as "regrettable, but that’s life," while another 30% stressed that they would respect the decision of the majority in any case.
Overall, only 20% of right-wing voters view political defeat as an intolerable event - four times lower than the figure recorded in the left-wing camp.