AFP reports October 7's influence on Israel's first-time voters

Ahead of Israel's October 27 election, young Israelis have told AFP how the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023 shaped their politics. Some place security above other concerns, while others continue to support an agreement with the Palestinians.

Channel 12 estimates that about 550,000 Israelis aged 18 to 22 will be voting for the first time. In a poll commissioned by the channel, 74% of first-time voters described their views as right-wing or centre-right, AFP reports.

Amihai, 18, from Shomria, told the agency he plans to support National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's ultranationalist party. He spoke near the northern Gaza Strip at an event supporting Jewish settlement in Palestinian territory. Security is his decisive concern.

Analyst Dahlia Scheindlin says Israeli Jewish youth have been moving rightward for around two decades. In her assessment, older generations remember hopes for a comprehensive peace agreement, while today's younger voters formed their political outlook during Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership.

At a gathering of young Democrats party activists in Tel Aviv, AFP interviewees supported a political agreement with the Palestinians. Gili, 18, connected increasingly extreme attitudes to fear after the attack. Yuval, also 18, from Tel Yitzhak, said continually managing the conflict offers no sustainable future.

Yishai Neeman, 19, from Petah Tikva, instead intends to vote for Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism party. He is preparing to serve in a combat unit and supports annexing the occupied West Bank. These interviews illustrate individual young people's differing positions and cannot by themselves predict the election result.