Published October 28, 2026
Yesterday, our Bay Area Jewish community nervously awaited the results from Israel’s first national election since the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks and ensuing war in Gaza – an extraordinary moment in both circumstances and significance. The election saw an impressive 78 percent turnout, including the highest recorded turnout among Arab Israelis in history. Based on results to date, neither of Israel’s two major political camps, led respectively by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yashar Party leader Gadi Eisenkot, have a clear path to forming a governing coalition.
Here in the Bay Area, our community holds diverse views on the desired outcome. Our polling of Bay Area Jews has shown a clear majority are dissatisfied with the current Israeli administration. In this election, most hoped for a change in leadership, while others favored a continuation of the existing government. The former are concerned about the growing influence of ultra-nationalist political factions, settler violence in the West Bank, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the unraveling of Israel’s democratic norms. The latter is focused on the security risks a change in leadership could present for the ongoing conflicts with Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas.
Bay Area Jews hold a rich diversity of identities, experiences, and political perspectives, including strongly held and sometimes conflicting views about Israel. Political beliefs aside, local Jews maintain familial, cultural, religious, and historical connections to Israel, and the vast majority support Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.
Locally, debates over Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict occupy an outsized and polarized place in public discourse. Singling out Jews and subjecting them to ideological litmus tests about their beliefs or views on Israel as a condition of acceptance or inclusion is prejudicial and bigoted. Jewish identity must never be conflated with the actions of the Israeli government. Nor should Jews, including Israelis living in the Bay Area, be held responsible for a conflict thousands of miles away. At a time of misinformation and rising antisemitism, we urge public officials and community leaders to reject dehumanizing rhetoric and approach election results with calm and civil discourse.
“JCRC Bay Area believes free and fair elections are fundamental to any thriving democracy, including Israel. We also believe that Israel’s future must be rooted in a shared society where all its citizens can live with dignity, and where a commitment to a shared future transcends political divisions. As Israel navigates the political uncertainty ahead, we reaffirm our commitment to Israel’s safety and security as the Jewish homeland, to upholding democratic values and fostering mutual understanding and coexistence with Palestinians, and to building a future in which Jewish communities in Israel, the Bay Area, and around the world can live safely and proudly.” –Tye Gregory, JCRC Bay Area CEO
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