In Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha, just three kilometres from the Gaza Strip, Schachar Zafran cradles her two-month-old baby as she explains why she will vote for Naftali Bennett, the former prime minister and leader of the centre-right opposition party Together. ‘I think Bibi is a good leader,’ she says. ‘But we have to change because most of the Israelis don’t believe in him and it’s tearing Israel apart. We need a prime minister who’s not going to make people go out onto the street and shout.’ Zafran remembers holding the safe-room door shut with every last bit of her strength as Hamas terrorists ransacked her home on 7 October. She speaks for millions of Israelis when she says that safety is the most important issue in this election. She previously voted for Netanyahu, but says she ‘can’t trust him anymore’ after the long delays in securing the release of the hostages.