Netanyahu and Rivals Face Vote on Courts and Drafts

Israelis cast ballots on Tuesday in a national election that pits Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against a coalition of opposition parties. While the vote is often described as historic, the leading candidates share a similar stance on the war in Gaza and the status of Palestinian statehood. The primary distinction between the sides lies in domestic governance, specifically regarding the power of the judiciary and the conscription of religious groups.

No leading contender has challenged the military campaign launched after the October 7, 2023 attack. Most candidates also have not proposed a clear route to a two-state solution. Netanyahu has stated that there will be no Palestinian state. Gadi Eisenkot of the Yashar party called the principle of two states for two peoples a mistake. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged the next government to cancel the Oslo Accords and encourage migration from Gaza and the West Bank.

The debate over the judicial overhaul has intensified. The current government has passed measures changing judge appointments and stripped Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara of many powers. These measures are set to take effect after the election. Opposition leader Naftali Bennett pledged to cancel all legal revolution laws as soon as the new Knesset convenes. Netanyahu argues that the judiciary must not crush the Knesset, while Justice Minister Yariv Levin calls the election a chance to finish the reform process.

Conscription for the ultra-Orthodox population is another major dividing line. Netanyahu relies on the Shas and United Torah Judaism parties for support in the Knesset. These parties demand legislation to shield religious students from the draft after a Supreme Court ruling in June 2024. About 40 ultra-Orthodox individuals were arrested this month for avoiding conscription. Netanyahu described the arrests as a deliberate attempt to harm the drafting process. Shas leader Aryeh Deri said his party would not join any government unless the status of yeshiva students is regulated.

Accountability for the events of October 7 has dominated the campaign, even as the death toll in Gaza, which has exceeded 74,000, is absent from the main platforms. Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi resigned in January 2025 following inquiries into security failures. Shin Bet head Ronen Bar left his post in June of last year after a dispute with the prime minister. Eisenkot promised a State Commission of Inquiry, while Netanyahu told the Knesset his government wants an inquiry with broad public support.

The proposed government-led inquiry has been deferred to the next Knesset session. It never reached its final reading under the current government. The election will determine which political bloc controls the process for examining the security failures of 2023.