Growth of Right Extremism in Israel
Right-wing extremism in Israel has witnessed a pronounced and sustained escalation over the past 25 years, with an accelerated pace following the collapse of peace initiatives in the early 2000s and especially since the return of Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister in December 2022. The rise of extremist political ideology is marked by the increased power and normalization of far-right nationalist groups, particularly those affiliated with Religious Zionism, Otzma Yehudit, and Kahanism—a supremacist ideology once considered fringe and even designated as terrorist in the United States.
The 2022 elections served as a pivotal moment, consolidating a right-wing majority and bringing openly supremacist, anti-Arab, and ultra-religious parties into an ideologically homogeneous governing coalition. Parties such as Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit, led by figures like Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, and the Noam party under Avi Maoz, have adopted hardline policies and rhetoric, calling for the annexation of the West Bank, expulsion or disenfranchisement of Palestinians, and “loyalty tests” for Israeli citizens.
Polls indicate that right-wing ideology is entrenched among younger Jewish Israelis, with about two-thirds of those aged 18 to 34 identifying as right-wing and nearly half supporting the expulsion of Palestinian citizens. This public shift, combined with the mainstreaming of once-marginal extreme ideologies, forms the backdrop of the current political climate.
Political Leadership Driving Extremism
The proliferation of right extremism in Israel is deeply intertwined with the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu’s political strategy has been to court and empower far-right elements to secure his premiership, culminating in coalitions that include individuals like Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, and Maoz. Netanyahu’s willingness to broker alliances and form coalition agreements with figures known for supremacist, racist, homophobic, and anti-Arab rhetoric has enabled these actors to transition from political pariahs to ministers wielding real power, notably in the ministries of National Security and Finance.
Netanyahu’s government stands out for its ideological unity in pursuing a nationalist, expansionist, and increasingly theocratic vision that elevates Jewish supremacy over democratic pluralism, often at the expense of non-Jewish minorities and marginalized groups. His coalition partners regularly advance policies undermining Israel’s judicial system and weakening democratic safeguards in order to consolidate their agenda.
Impact on Foreign Affairs
The entrenchment of right-wing extremism has significantly strained Israel’s foreign relations, particularly with traditional allies such as the United States and Europe. The inclusion of far-right ministers in key positions, who often openly defy international norms and ideals, has raised concerns in Washington and European capitals about the erosion of democratic values and the status of minorities within Israel. The U.S. administration initially kept the far-right Israeli government at arm's length, and high-profile warnings from American policymakers emphasized that continued support for Israel could become untenable if extremist positions persisted.
Foreign affairs are further complicated by Netanyahu’s active cultivation of ties with far-right parties abroad, alienating center-left governments and institutions. This shift has contributed to a global narrative challenging the legitimacy and moral standing of the Israeli state, especially as the government’s policies become more confrontational, unilateral, and dismissive of Palestinian rights.
National Security and the Escalation into Warfare
The mainstreaming of right-extremist ideology deeply affects Israel’s national security doctrine and the propensity for warfare. Efforts by ministers like Smotrich and Ben-Gvir to relax the rules of engagement for security forces have led to a spike in military raids, settlement expansion, and settler violence, with little accountability and strong state encouragement or acquiescence. The government’s aggressive responses to Palestinian resistance, particularly after the October 2023 attacks, have included unprecedented military operations in Gaza, resulting in exceedingly high civilian casualties and wide-ranging destruction.
Security policies now reflect an explicit strategy aimed less at coexistence and more at suppressing and displacing Palestinians, justified by an expansionist ideology that prioritizes total Jewish sovereignty over all of historical Palestine. Such approaches intensify cycles of violence and threaten to destabilize not only Israeli society but the broader region.
Regression of Equal Rights and Social Conservatism
The rightward drift has also led to an erosion of civil rights and democratic norms within Israel. Legislative assaults on the judiciary, attacks on liberal institutions, and repressive laws regulating protest, media, and minority organizations have collectively undermined checks and balances intended to safeguard individual rights. This has created an authoritarian dynamic, permitting the government to advance discriminatory policies with fewer obstacles.
Notably, the 2018 Jewish Nation State Law codified the prioritization of the Jewish character of the state over its democratic values, enshrining systematic discrimination against Palestinian citizens and other minorities. Expansion of settlement activities and settler violence have displaced scores of Palestinian communities, with little recourse to legal protection.
Deterioration of LGBTQAI+ Rights and Growing Social Stigma
Israel was once regarded as a Middle Eastern leader in LGBTQAI+ rights, typified by robust legal protections, visible Pride events, and an atmosphere of relative tolerance, particularly in cities like Tel Aviv. However, the rise of right-wing extremism has sharply reversed this progress, empowering openly homophobic actors in government and emboldening social and institutional discrimination.
Ministers from the Noam party and other fundamentalist factions have campaigned to roll back advances in gay adoption and surrogacy, undermine same-sex partnership recognition, and restrict access to gender-affirming healthcare. Lawmakers and ministers have proposed and, in some cases, begun to implement policies seeking to cancel Pride events, bar LGBTQ content from schools, and enable the denial of services—including medical treatment—based on religious belief. Some partners in the coalition openly support conversion therapy, a widely discredited and harmful practice.
There is a palpable rise in reported hate crimes, with anti-LGBTQ violence and threats spiking, especially following key steps in the judicial overhaul and the public ascent of extremist politicians. For instance, in 2022, anti-LGBTQ abuse reports doubled compared to five years prior, with a marked surge immediately after the election and the formation of a far-right government. The surge has included increased discrimination in businesses, higher incidences of public abuse, and a dramatic uptick in hate speech from public figures.
Lived Experiences and Suffering of the LGBTQAI+ Community
Testimonies from LGBTQAI+ individuals underscore the climate of fear, anxiety, and marginalization accompanying the conservative retrenchment. Concerns about the future—such as the potential rollback of adoption and surrogacy rights, threats to family formation, and access to healthcare—are widespread. Many LGBTQAI+ people, especially those from conservative or minority communities, must hide their identities, forego needed medical care, or migrate to larger urban areas, often at the expense of family ties and community support.
Transgender individuals report intensified fears of public hostility and withdrawal of subsidized medical support, heightening the risk of isolation and mental health crises. Some LGBTQ Israelis describe the environment as so discouraging that they contemplate emigration, feeling “betrayed” by a society that once promised greater pluralism and acceptance. Pride events, once widely celebrated, now face counter-protests, threats of violence, and hate campaigns from groups allied with or tolerated by the government. Police inaction or selective enforcement in protecting LGBTQAI+ community events and individuals has further stoked apprehension and a sense of abandonment.
Legal threats have heightened anxiety as the judiciary overhaul makes the robust Supreme Court protections that shielded LGBTQ rights more vulnerable to reversal, subjecting hard-won gains to the whim of a far-right, religiously motivated parliamentary majority. LGBTQ organizations and activists caution that, even in the absence of new anti-LGBTQ laws, the rhetorical and symbolic legitimization of bigotry by ministers and coalition agreements sets a menacing tone, translating into wider social intolerance, harassment, and physical danger for queer individuals.
Conclusion
The proliferation of right extremism in Israel, primarily under the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right coalition partners, has induced profound shifts in the country’s political, social, and legal landscapes, with dire impacts on both domestic equality and international standing. Once celebrated as a bastion of LGBTQ rights in a conservative region, Israel is now witnessing a systematic regression, with its LGBTQAI+ community facing unprecedented threats, recurring stigmatization, and a pronounced rollback of civil liberties.This confluence of political and social reaction not only undermines the achievements of past decades but also endangers the prospects of pluralism, inclusivity, and genuine democracy within Israeli society.
