Abstract
The 2019–2021 election cycle was focused on Netanyahu, the incumbent prime minister, for over a decade. Second on these elections’ agenda was the future of the Israeli democracy. Based on the literature of political personalization, this chapter examines whether and how Netanyahu has embodied attitudes toward democratic principles and values in this election cycle, calling this understudied manifestation of centralized personalization “personification.” The findings indeed indicate personification, beyond already-documented political and sociological sources of democratic support. Netanyahu personified authoritarian views as well as illiberal approaches. This chapter suggests that personification may be a mechanism of democratic erosion, thus joining the growing public and academic concerns about democratic backsliding in Israel and worldwide.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | The Elections in Israel, 2019–2021 |
Editors | Michal Shamir, Gideon Rahat |
Place of Publication | London |
Publisher | Routledge |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781003267911 |
State | Published - 2022 |