Analysis of Israeli Politicians on X Shows Security Dominates Campaign
An analysis of X posts from Israeli political leaders reveals that national security dominates pre-election discourse while economic issues largely fade from the public agenda.
An analysis of 3,245 posts published on X by 12 Israeli political leaders between July 17 and October 20 reveals shifting campaign dynamics ahead of the upcoming elections. The study highlights how social media has become the primary battleground for direct voter engagement, outperforming traditional media channels.
Social Media Dominance and Top Posters
During the evaluated period, political leaders shared 3,245 posts, including 1,448 videos. Mansour Abbas and Yaakov Asher were excluded due to minimal activity, while Ofer Winter maintains no social media presence. Naftali Bennett emerged as the most prolific poster, accounting for nearly one-sixth of all total posts. Tuesdays proved to be the most active day with over 600 posts, whereas Saturdays saw the lowest engagement with only 254 posts.
Security Focus and Missing Economic Debates
Keywords analysis indicates that national security, the events of October 7, Hamas, and Gaza remain at the core of the political discourse. Conversely, economic issues have largely vanished from the agenda. The first economic term appears at the 25th spot, with Yaron Zelecha driving the vast majority of financial discussions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dominated opponent mentions, appearing 1,611 times in rival posts, far outdistancing figures like Gadi Eisenkot and Yair Golan.
