Alon Tal and Yael Aronoff in Discussion About the Upcoming Israeli Elections Moderated by Benjamin Lorch

Profs. Alon Tal and Yael Aronoff will discuss key issues surrounding the upcoming Israeli elections, scheduled to be held on October 27, 2026. Conversation will include looking back on the array of opposition parties to Benjamin Netanyahu’s government over the past four years and looking ahead to the constellation of old and new political parties competing in the elections and the possibilities for potential coalition governments based on possible results. They will also consider the implications of these crucial elections for a variety of Israeli domestic policies, including the possibilities of democratic backsliding or strengthening, the impact on relations with Palestinians and policies in Gaza and the West Bank and prospects for a two-state solution, and the implications for Israel’s relations with its neighbors and with the United States.

Yael Aronoff is the Director of the Michael and Elaine Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel (since 2014), is the Michael and Elaine Serling and Friends Chair of Israel Studies (since 2006) and is Professor of Political Science/International Relations in James Madison College at MSU. Dr. Aronoff’s published books are The Political Psychology of Israeli Prime Ministers: When Hard-Liners Opt for Peace, Cambridge University Press (2014) and coedited book, Continuity and Change in Political Culture: Israel and Beyond, co-edited with Ilan Peleg and Saliba Sarsar, Lexington Books (2021). Her recent publications include chapters in edited books about the Israeli opposition Zionist parties and analyses of Netanyahu.

Alon Tal is a professor at Tel Aviv University, where he previously served as chair of the Department of Public Policy. Dr. Tal was also a professor at Ben Gurion and at the Hebrew University, and has been a visiting Professor at Harvard, Michigan State, Otago, and Stanford Universities. He has founded several environmental organizations, including the Israel Union for Environmental Defense, the Arava Institute (which was considered for the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize), Zafuf, and the Israel Forum for Population, Environment, and Society. He has authored seven books on environmental issues (many with a focus on Israel). Dr. Tal served as chair of Israel’s Green Party and was a member of Knesset, where he served as Chair of the Subcommittee for Environment, Climate & Health.

Benjamin Lorch is Associate Professor, Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy, James Madison College and a Michael and Elaine Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel affiliate.

Organized by the Serling Institute. Co-sponsored by the College of Arts and Letters, James Madison College, College of Social Science, Department of History, Department of Political Science, International Studies and Programs, and the Asian Studies Center