On April 9, Israel heads to the polls in what will be a closely contested election. To discuss the state of Israeli politics, amid the backdrop of almost simultaneous elections in India, we hosted a private discussion with Or Avi Vazana, a young Israeli scholar visiting India, who shared his perspectives on Israeli and Indian politics. What are some of the issues being faced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his allies, and his opposition in the run up to the election? How will the outcome affect Israel’s foreign relations and regional security? And what might be the impact for bilateral Israel-India relations as the two countries face almost simultaneous electoral contests. Vazana, a lawyer by training, also serves in the Israeli Army reserves as a captain.

The discussion was held at Brookings India under the Chatham House Rule.