On the morning of October 7th 2023 Hamas fighters drove through the Israeli town of Sderot, less than a mile from Gaza, shooting at civilians. For Israelis, the small city became a symbol of the extent to which their nation’s defences had failed. In the last election, in 2022, over three-quarters of its voters plumped(投票支持) for parties that joined the coalition government of Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister. But nine days before the country’s next election, Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett, the leaders of the two big centre-right parties and Mr Netanyahu’s main challengers, were there to hold him to account.(但距离该国下一次选举还有九天，两个中右翼大党的领袖、内塔尼亚胡的主要挑战者加迪·艾森科特和纳夫塔利·贝内特来到这里，要向他问责。)
2023年10月7日早晨，哈马斯武装分子驾车穿过距离加沙不到一英里的以色列城镇斯德洛特，向平民开枪。对以色列人来说，这座小城成了国家防御失败程度的象征。在2022年的上一次选举中，该镇超过四分之三的选民支持了加入本雅明·内塔尼亚胡联合政府的政党。但距离该国下一次选举还有九天，两个中右翼大党的领袖、内塔尼亚胡的主要挑战者加迪·艾森科特和纳夫塔利·贝内特来到这里，要向他问责。
Three years after the massacres of October 7th, Mr Netanyahu’s rivals are determined to make the election a reckoning(清算，问责) for that day and the wars and bloodshed that have followed. “Whoever promises total victory is hoodwinking(欺骗，蒙蔽) the public,” Mr Eisenkot said on his visit, in reference to Mr Netanyahu’s wartime slogan. “He has nothing to offer.” Those listening murmured in assent(表示同意), but many more in Sderot still back the prime minister and his allies. Travelling around Israel, it is clear that the country is deeply divided. No party is set to win over 20% of the vote. Political alliances are shifting. Mr Netanyahu and his allies have no obvious route to power but his squabbling foes may not be able to form a coalition either.(内塔尼亚胡及其盟友没有明显的掌权路径，但他那些争吵不休的对手可能也无法组建联盟。)
10月7日屠杀发生三年后，内塔尼亚胡的对手决心让这次选举成为对那一天的清算，以及对随后战争和流血事件的清算。“任何承诺全面胜利的人都是在欺骗公众，”艾森科特在访问时说，指的是内塔尼亚胡的战时口号。“他没有什么可提供的。”听者低声赞同，但斯德洛特更多的人仍然支持总理及其盟友。走遍以色列，很明显这个国家深度分裂。没有政党能赢得超过20%的选票。政治联盟正在变化。内塔尼亚胡及其盟友没有明显的掌权路径，但他那些争吵不休的对手可能也无法组建联盟。
Sderot is a hardscrabble(贫困的，艰难的) “development town” in the Negev where in the 1950s Jewish immigrants from elsewhere in the Middle East, the mizrahim(米兹拉希犹太人), were sent to live. Resentment towards what many there see as an elite dominated by Ashkenazi (European) Jews still lingers, fuelling votes for Mr Netanyahu’s Likud and its allies.(当地许多人认为国家被阿什肯纳兹（欧洲）犹太人主导的精英阶层控制，这种怨恨至今挥之不去，助推了内塔尼亚胡的利库德集团及其盟友的选票。)
斯德洛特是内盖夫地区一个贫困的“发展城镇”，20世纪50年代，来自中东其他地区的犹太移民——即米兹拉希人——被安置到这里居住。当地许多人认为国家被阿什肯纳兹（欧洲）犹太人主导的精英阶层控制，这种怨恨至今挥之不去，助推了内塔尼亚胡的利库德集团及其盟友的选票。