If elections are normally times of celebration, either for retaining successful governments or for renewing politics with new faces and ideas, the forthcoming general election in Israel instead inspires a mixture of hope and dread. Hope that the country may rid itself of the most disastrous government in its history; dread over what further damage this coalition government might inflict before voters finally go to the polls. In the meantime, the Knesset is slowly proceeding with votes on a bill to dissolve itself.

If elections are normally times of celebration, either for retaining successful governments or for renewing politics with new faces and ideas, the forthcoming general election in…

As parliamentary elections loom, the Israeli leader is ramping up efforts to delegitimise Palestinian candidates