In the grand theater of public discourse, the Overton Window serves as the invisible but all-powerful usher, guiding the public's gaze toward what is deemed “acceptable” speech and policy. But in Israel, this window is different — it’s bulletproof, shaped more by existential realities than by ideological trends.
Unlike in the West, where the boundaries of discourse often shift with cultural moods and political waves, Israel’s Overton Window is reinforced by history, security concerns, and the inescapable necessity of national survival. In Israel, what is considered “acceptable” or “mainstream” isn’t determined by elite consensus or media cycles, but by a collective memory of fragility — and the ever-present possibility of war.
The past few months have demonstrated just how rapidly an Overton Window can shift. Former US President Donald Trump may have set a new record for the fastest repositioning of political discourse regarding the future of Gaza. His willingness to shatter taboos and thrust fringe ideas into the mainstream shows how, under the right conditions, a relentless narrative can rapidly redefine public consensus.
But Israel plays by different rules. Here, the margin for error is not political — it is existential. National security isn’t just a policy concern; it is a daily reality. That reality narrows the spectrum of acceptable public debate. In the West, political positions can evolve with little immediate consequence. In Israel, even rhetorical experiments can have life-or-death implications.
Consider national defense. In the US or much of Europe, one might argue for slashing military budgets, opening borders, or adopting pacifist foreign policy. These ideas, while controversial, exist within the Western Overton Window. In Israel, however, they are far outside the realm of possibility. A call to reduce military readiness or loosen border security is not seen as idealistic — it is seen as dangerous. What might be considered radical left-wing policy in Israel — such as advocating a two-state solution today — may be mainstream in the West. Conversely, what is center-right in Israel — such as maintaining a permanent security presence in contested zones — is often viewed as extreme by international observers.
The same applies to Israel’s democratic identity. In the West, debates about democracy tend to center on representation, minority rights, and theoretical discussions of liberalism. In Israel, democracy is often less about abstract ideals and more about managing paradox: the tension between being a Jewish and democratic state; the need to maintain security without sacrificing civil liberties; the legal protections offered to minorities in a region often hostile to those very values.
Laws like the 2018 Nation-State Law, which enshrines Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people, would be fiercely debated — and perhaps condemned — in liberal circles abroad. But in Israel, they are situated firmly within the Overton Window because they respond to a fundamental concern: preserving national identity and continuity in an unpredictable, often hostile environment.
This is not to say that Israel's Overton Window doesn’t move. It does — but it moves differently. In the West, discourse can be reshaped incrementally through social media, elite opinion, and sustained activism. In Israel, however, shifting the public conversation is less about adjusting a few policies and more about presenting an entirely new vision — a complete paradigm shift that speaks to identity, security, economics, and collective memory.
If you want to change the conversation in Israel, you can't just challenge the status quo. You have to replace it with something holistic, cohesive, and credible. You have to offer a new vision — one that integrates security, national identity, and a path to a better future. Critique is not enough. Israelis won’t abandon what they know unless the alternative feels not only idealistic but practical, secure, and empowering.
This presents a challenge to political reformers, thought leaders, and activists: If you want to shift public opinion in Israel, you must construct a full-spectrum worldview that addresses the deepest fears and aspirations of its people. You must show how change makes Israel stronger — not weaker. How it makes the Jewish state more sovereign, not more vulnerable.
Israel’s Overton Window is not immovable. It is responsive — but only to ideas that acknowledge the region's volatility and the nation's hard-earned lessons. The window here doesn’t swing on cultural trends. It moves when people believe their survival, their children’s safety, and their national destiny are being preserved — or threatened.
Trump’s first weeks in office showed how a radical redefinition of political language and vision can shatter taboos in the West. But Israel is not waiting for a slogan or a media wave. It is waiting for a vision — one that can take root in lived experience, historical memory, and realistic hope.
The challenge isn’t to inch the window open. It’s to build a new window entirely.
The writer is the CEO of Alenu -The Founding Grandchildren