‘The stakes could hardly be higher’: The election for Israel’s soul
by Nicola Smith · Australian Financial ReviewNicola SmithForeign affairs and defence correspondent
Oct 23, 2026 – 1.02pm
Tel Aviv | The faint boom of Israel Defence Forces artillery still echoes over the irrigated fields separating the Gaza Strip from south-west Israel, but the residents of Kibbutz Be’eri are rebuilding their homes along Route 232 after the carnage wreaked by Hamas terrorists on October 7 three years ago.
The highway was labelled the “road of death” after the horrific attack that claimed close to 1200 lives, 108 of them in Be’eri. “We’re building now, and it’s virtually one for one, and that’s really our rebirth,” said Sydney-born survivor Danny Majzner.
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Nicola SmithForeign affairs and defence correspondentNicola Smith is The Australian Financial Review’s Foreign affairs and defence correspondent. She was formerly the Canberra bureau chief and a foreign correspondent covering Asia and the European Union. She joined the Financial Review in 2025. Reach Nicola securely on Signal @niccijsmith.03. Email Nicola at nicci.smith@afr.com
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