Israelis must vote despite their political ennui
Opinion: The political process should remain largely unseen by the public, but since the curtain has been raised and the ugly truth revealed, a lack of engagement could open the door to extremist parties having power in the Knesset
One can hear this from all directions, right and left, the politically involved and those who stay away from politics.
There is no scientific measurement that can be used in advance, besides a gut feeling, but it is saying that at this rate, the September 17 elections will see the lowest turnout yet.
The most likely reason is the swift end to the last elected Knesset, just weeks after it was sworn in.
Israelis have seen much from their politicians - a president and a prime minister who were convicted and served jail time, prime ministers, ministers and Knesset members under criminal investigation - but this kind of apathy among voters is worse still.
Normally an election cycle consists of a full governmental term, with its ups and downs, but as a new Election Day approaches, politicians prepare themselves and their platform, appealing to voters' emotions and ensuring they are keen to cast their votes for or against the ruling party, for or against war.
In politics, like in a sausage factory, it is best not to see the actual process.
But now the curtain has been pulled back, the process has been revealed, politicians did not have four years to brush up their rhetoric and how things actually work has been exposed, to much frustration.
The Israeli public is not always fully versed in the finer details; they know that some politicians dissolved the Knesset while others opposed the move.
They are aware that some politicians tried to suggest alternative coalitions and others blocked the move.
Most of the public is just bored. It's not a matter of left or right - this disgust can be found across the board.
And that will be beneficial for parties that are more ideological, which are found on the extremes and in the ultra-Orthodox community.
So, voter frustration with politicians is in danger of leading to the worst possible results for the vast majority of Israelis.
For while the last election results showed that 70% of voters chose one of the two major parties - proving that most of the public is in the middle of the political map - low turnout on election day will result in the extreme left or right wing parties gaining strength.
So even if one is truly sick of the political process and prefers not to stand in line at the ballot box for the second time in months, and even without a favorite party to vote for, Israelis must go out to vote for the least objectionable option. Because the alternative is truly alarming.
