Israelis have changed. Will they change their leader?
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Israelis will vote in national elections next week. It’s the first vote since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and the Gaza war. Many Israelis call it the most important vote in their country’s history.
On this episode of the Sunday Story, NPR’s Daniel Estrin reports on Israelis and how they’ve changed after three years of wars across the Middle East. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one of the world’s most controversial and consequential leaders, is seeking a seventh term. A former military chief of staff is his main challenger.
Now, as Israel faces a global backlash for its destructive war in Gaza, Israelis must decide: will they vote for change?
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On this episode of the Sunday Story, NPR’s Daniel Estrin reports on Israelis and how they’ve changed after three years of wars across the Middle East. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one of the world’s most controversial and consequential leaders, is seeking a seventh term. A former military chief of staff is his main challenger.
Now, as Israel faces a global backlash for its destructive war in Gaza, Israelis must decide: will they vote for change?
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy
I'm Aisha Roscoe, and this is a Sunday story from up first. Next week, Israelis will vote in national elections. It's the first vote since Hamas attacked Israel three years ago, on October 7. And since Israel retaliated with war in Gaza, the devastation in Gaza has prompted international outrage toward Israel. But what many people in the U.S. may not realize is just how hardened and polarized Israelis themselves have become. It's a huge deal. This is about... this election is about the existence of Israel. Who made, like, coming to say the country to put Israel back, what it should be. Benjamin Netanyahu is the longest serving prime minister in the country's history. Now he's campaigning for a seventh term. He's one of the world's most controversial and consequential leaders, heading a far-right, ultra-nationalist, religious coalition. He's launched attacks throughout the region, from Gaza to Iran, and he says his job isn't done yet. We will continue to win because we have no other choice. He faces a challenger in the former chief of staff of the Israeli military. Number one, Gadi Isinko, yeah. Gadi Isinko leads Israel's more moderate, center-right opposition. And he's offering Israelis something many have asked for and Netanyahu has blocked. A formal investigation into the security failures that led to the October 7 attacks. Today on the Sunday Story, NPR's correspondent in Israel, Daniel Estrin, talks to Israelis about how they see their conflict with the Palestinians and explains why many think these upcoming elections are the most important in their country's history. I think you really need to hear directly from Israelis to understand what matters to them, because their vote will shape the future of the Middle East, including the lives of Palestinians and millions of others across the entire region. Stay with us. Stay tuned for the following announcements and messages from our sponsors. This message comes from zero, a powerful platform built for small business owners that makes managing business finances easier. In fact, 91% of customers agree zero is easy to use, accounting, payments, payroll, and analytics in one connected platform. Join 5 million customers worldwide who love using zero. Learn more at xero.com. The 91% claim is based on a 2024 zero survey conducted in the US, UK, and Australia. This message comes from Midi Health. Most women never get real answers about their hormonal health. Midi is changing that with virtual care covered by most major insurances. Understand your hormones. Visit join midi.com to book your first visit today. This message comes from Schwab. At Schwab, you can get everything from self-directed investing to full service wealth management all in one place. No matter your investing goal, life stage, amount to invest, or know how, you can invest your way with Schwab. We're back with a Sunday story. I'm joined by NPR's correspondent in Israel, Daniel Estrin. Daniel, thank you for being here. You're welcome. So Daniel, the way the last three years have gone, I would imagine there are a lot of emotions
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