From the 1977 Upheaval to the Gaza War: Israel’s Shift From Left to Right

Israel’s political divide has evolved since Likud’s victory in 1977, moving beyond a contest for power to a confrontation over Palestinian territory, a political settlement and the country’s national and religious identity.

The 1977 result marked a turning point in that trajectory, breaking the left’s hold on government and opening the way for the right to become a dominant force in Israeli politics.

The rivalry increasingly centred on questions that went beyond who would govern. Positions on Palestinian land and the possibility of a negotiated settlement became defining lines between the competing political camps.

National and religious identity added another dimension to the divide. The struggle over government became intertwined with competing visions of the state, making the right-left split a dispute over Israel’s direction as well as its leadership.

With the Gaza war, that long transformation provides a backdrop to the country’s political divisions. The shift from a stronghold of the left to a bastion of the right reflects a decades-long realignment around territory, settlement and identity.