Electoral competition sharpens divisions among voters in Israel.

Natural Experiment Findings

* Examined seven consecutive Israeli election studies post-dating the 2015 Knesset elections.

* Showed that increased electoral salience directly correlated with higher affective polarization levels across partisan lines.

Survey Experiment on Cooperation

* Leveraged inherent ambiguity during coalition formation after Israel's 22nd Knesset was elected.

* Primed respondents regarding the likelihood of a unity government forming.

* Found that enhancing perceptions of potential party cooperation significantly reduced partisan animosity and promoted tolerance.

Theoretical Contributions

* Provides empirical evidence connecting endogenous institutional arrangements with affective polarization.

* Demonstrates an applied remedy—shaping expectations of interparty collaboration—to mitigate political hostility.