Three Years After October 7, Israel's Political Center of Gravity Keeps Moving Right

Three years after the October 7 attacks, Israeli society has drifted further to the right, a shift that has pushed voices advocating for a negotiated political settlement with the Palestinians to the margins of mainstream debate. In a video report published by Al Jazeera's NewsFeed segment, correspondent Nour Odeh explained that while the change has accelerated since the 2023 attacks, its roots stretch back well before that watershed moment.

The report, released on October 7, 2026, examines how the Israeli political landscape has been reshaped over a period of years rather than months. According to Odeh, the rightward movement did not begin with the October 7 attacks, even though those events dramatically intensified existing trends. Understanding the shift requires looking at longer-term political, demographic, and social developments inside Israel.

The marginalization of those calling for a political settlement with the Palestinians marks one of the most visible consequences of this shift. Positions that were once part of mainstream Israeli discourse, including support for negotiations and a two-state framework, have increasingly been pushed to the edges of acceptable political conversation. This narrowing of the debate has left little space for alternative approaches to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The conflict itself remains the central issue of the report, with the Israeli-Palestinian question described as a defining political fault line in the region. The shift to the right has implications not only for Israel's domestic politics but also for the broader prospects for peace and stability in the region, as the constituencies that once pressured Israeli governments toward compromise lose influence.

The report places the political transformation in the context of broader trends across Israeli society. It suggests that the rightward drift reflects deeper structural changes rather than a temporary reaction to a single event. Such changes can shape electoral outcomes, coalition politics, and public attitudes toward the conflict for years or even decades.

At the same time, the report notes that the politics of Israeli society have continued to evolve after October 7. The attacks and the subsequent conflict have hardened existing positions and weakened the remaining political forces that advocate for dialogue and a negotiated end to the conflict. The result has been an even more pronounced tilt to the right in the national conversation.

Al Jazeera's coverage points to how the Israeli political spectrum has been transformed during this period. Parties and figures associated with the right have gained ground, while those associated with the center and left have struggled to present a compelling alternative vision. This realignment has consequences for how Israel approaches both its security policy and its relations with the Palestinians.

The report also implies that the international community's ability to influence events may be constrained by these internal dynamics. Even as external actors call for diplomatic solutions, the domestic political base for such solutions inside Israel has grown weaker, making it more difficult for any Israeli government to pursue negotiated outcomes.

Another important dimension is the way the shift affects the voices that remain. Advocates of a political settlement, including activists, analysts, and politicians, now operate in a more hostile environment, where their positions are frequently framed as out of step with the national mood. This marginalization can create a self-reinforcing cycle, as fewer mainstream platforms are available for compromise-oriented viewpoints.

The report is part of Al Jazeera's ongoing coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict, a topic the network tracks through news, features, and video journalism. Accompanying material on its website includes coverage of prison abuse allegations, criticism of Israel's new death penalty law, analysis of US leverage over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and a history of flotilla campaigns aimed at ending the siege of Gaza.

The timing of the report, three years after October 7, invites reflection on how much has changed and how much of that change was already underway. The report's central argument is that the current moment cannot be understood simply as a reaction to the attacks; instead, it represents the culmination of a longer process in Israeli politics and society.

For observers of the region, the implications are significant. If the Israeli electorate and political class continue to move away from support for a negotiated settlement, the space for diplomacy on the Palestinian question may continue to shrink. That, in turn, could shape the calculations of regional actors and international mediators for years to come.

The report also highlights the role of media in framing these developments. By tracing the shift back before October 7, Al Jazeera's analysis challenges narratives that treat the current political configuration as an abrupt break with the past, emphasizing continuity and gradual transformation instead.

Ultimately, the video report offers a concise but pointed examination of a trend that has reshaped Israeli politics. It suggests that the rightward shift, intensified by October 7 but rooted in earlier developments, will remain a defining feature of Israeli political life, with far-reaching consequences for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and for the wider Middle East.