As the hours count down before Israelis head to the polls, and Israeli high-ranking officers warn that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may want to strike Iran before Tuesday's election - the stakes are clearly high. But they are perceived as being even higher for one political camp, according to Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin, speaking on the final Haaretz Election Podcast ahead of Tuesday’s election.

"When people ask, 'Do Israelis see this as life and death?' - the answer is yes - for opposition voters," said Scheindlin, a veteran political strategist, pollster and Haaretz columnist. 

She described the mood at a Saturday night opposition election rally - hammering home the need to topple Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government as "somewhat celebratory, but also a lot of anxiety. I heard a lot of people saying, 'I'm here, but I'm scared.'"

Together with fellow columnist Joshua Leifer - who admitted to being "very anxious" and "very nervous ahead of Election Day" - and podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer, Scheindlin assessed the late-breaking developments on the eve of the election which appears - according to the final election polls - doomed to result in a deadlock. 

"We are in for a long time of coalition wrangling, unless we see some sort of late-stage surprise surge," Scheindlin said.

Read the latest developments on haaretz.com. 

IDF Brass Fears Netanyahu May Launch Iran Offensive Before Tuesday's Election

As the Hard Right Fears Historic Defeat, Armed Settler Convoys in Tel Aviv Carry a Message

Here Are Some of the Horrors Brought Upon Us by Israel's 37th Government

As the hours count down before Israelis head to the polls, and Israeli high-ranking officers warn that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may want to strike Iran before Tuesday's election - the stakes are clearly high. But they are perceived as being even higher for one political camp, according to Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin, speaking on the final Haaretz Election Podcast ahead of Tuesday&rsquo;s election.
"When people ask, 'Do Israelis see this as life and death?' - the answer is yes - for opposition voters," said Scheindlin, a veteran political strategist, pollster and Haaretz columnist.&nbsp;
She described the mood at a Saturday night opposition election rally - hammering home the need to topple Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&rsquo;s far-right government as "somewhat celebratory, but also a lot of anxiety. I heard a lot of people saying, 'I'm here, but I'm scared.'"
Together with fellow columnist Joshua Leifer - who admitted to being "very anxious" and "very nervous ahead of Election Day" - and podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer, Scheindlin assessed the late-breaking developments on the eve of the election which appears - according to the final election polls - doomed to result in a deadlock.&nbsp;
"We are in for a long time of coalition wrangling, unless we see some sort of late-stage surprise surge," Scheindlin said.
Read the latest developments on <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/">haaretz.com</a>.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-10-25/ty-article/.premium/weary-of-the-polls-netanyahu-may-seek-to-strike-iran-before-tuesdays-elections/000001a1-74c9-db53-a9ed-feffbd090000">IDF Brass Fears Netanyahu May Launch Iran Offensive Before Tuesday's Election</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-security/2026-10-25/ty-article-magazine/.premium/as-the-hard-right-fears-defeat-settler-convoys-in-tel-aviv-carry-a-message/000001a1-6420-d5c9-adad-f674a5280000">As the Hard Right Fears Historic Defeat, Armed Settler Convoys in Tel Aviv Carry a Message</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-10-23/ty-article-magazine/.premium/here-are-some-of-the-horrors-brought-upon-us-by-israels-37th-government/000001a1-6331-d5c9-adad-f375ec0d0000">Here Are Some of the Horrors Brought Upon Us by Israel's 37th Government</a>

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – a weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – a weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

Your audio guide to Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World.

Haaretz Podcast

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – the Haaretz weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer. 

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – the Haaretz weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.