Current sectionIsrael NewsIsrael Political NewsShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeIllustration: Anastasia ShubAhead of the October 27 election, philosophers David Enoch and Saul Smilansky confront an uncomfortable truth – no single vote decides the outcome – and explain why staying home still can't be justifiedShira Philosof09:00 AM • September 12 2026 IDTOn October 27, roughly 7 million eligible Israeli voters will be asked to do something seemingly simple: Drop a ballot into a box. The upcoming election is set to be one of the most consequential Israel has seen in recent years – and one of the most open-ended. Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Israeli politicsIsraeli electionsOpinionArab IsraelisBenjamin NetanyahuCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Live UpdatesNetanyahu October 7Settlement SanctionsIran-U.S.EisenkotBen-GvirHamasIsrael Election PollsOphir AwardsHaQuizHaaretz PodcastYour Vote Won't Change a Thing. This Is Why You Should Cast It AnywayEven Palestinians Were Stunned: The IDF-settler Alliance Reaches a New LevelReport: Israel-Lebanon Talks Set for Next Week Postponed Until OctoberSnakebite and Roach Milk: Ig Nobel Winners Answer Humanity's Big QuestionsFar-right AfD Says Reported Elbit Plant in Germany Could Aid Deportation DriveRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMINetanyahu Got an Explicit Warning Before Oct. 7. He Didn't Brief Security ChiefsNetanyahu Was Warned About October 7. Will Haaretz's Exposé Change Anything?IMDb Replaces the Name Israel With 'The Occupied Palestinian Territories'Netanyahu Says He Will Sue Haaretz Following Oct. 7 ExposéIsraeli Documentary on Gaza Receives Record 25-minute Standing Ovation at Venice'Baby, an Update: He's Just Died': Israeli Guards' Texts Reveal Abuse in Prison