The Referendum on Netanyahu Will Now Test Israel's Democracy

Two things can be said about Israel's election on Tuesday, even though it may be days or weeks before it becomes clear who will next lead the country.
The first is that, as an exercise in participatory democracy, this vote was immense. An unprecedented 77% of eligible voters cared enough to vote in what amounted to a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's responsibility for, and response to, the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, 2023. The second is that this democracy could well be extinguished depending on what happens next.