In Israel, how the Knesset has fragmented in favor of the hardline nationalist right for over fifty years

The political landscape of Israel has shifted dramatically over the past fifty years, with the Labor Party and Likud once holding three-quarters of Knesset seats in 1973, now reduced to less than a third in 2026. This change is influenced by economic and social transformations, as well as the decline of the historical left. The peace-security dynamic has contributed to political fragmentation, benefiting the hard right. After a coalition with Likud, the Labor Party returned to power in 1992, pursuing peace with Palestinians through the Oslo Accords. However, security concerns, highlighted by Hamas attacks and the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, shifted public trust towards the right, culminating in Benjamin Netanyahu's rise to power in 1996.