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More than half a million first-time voters will cast their ballots in this election, which many Israelis see as existential for Israel’s future security and identity.<\/p>\n
Polls suggest it will be a tight race, and the new young voters could help decide the result.<\/p>\n
More than 16% are planning to support far-right parties – either Ben Gvir’s Jewish Power or the Religious Zionism party of his far-right ally Bezalel Smotrich – according to a poll for one of Israel’s most popular newspapers, Yedioth Ahronoth.<\/p>\n
And almost three-quarters see themselves as “right or centre-right”, according to another survey for Israel’s leading Channel 12 television network.<\/p>\n
“Itamar Ben Gvir gives me a sense of security,” said 20-year-old Mordechai, one of the young fans accompanying the politician to Ramle.<\/p>\n
“Like everyone in history, from Trump to Moses, there are slips of the tongue that are a bit less good. So what? 90% of the things by Itamar are amazing.”<\/p>\n
“Itamar will give us safety, and when we go to the army, someone will have our backs and be behind us,” said 18-year-old Nadav.<\/p>\n
“I think he’s trying to show that we’re a strong country. For many years, we couldn’t show we’re strong in our beliefs. We couldn’t express our ideology.”<\/p>\n
Meir Schreiber, an ultra-Orthodox 23-year-old who grew up in London, said the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel, which triggered the Gaza war, also convinced him that Ben Gvir was the right choice.<\/p>\n
“Young people understand that peace isn’t something we can do,” he told me, “because what happens to you when you’re young shapes your personality – we saw October 7.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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