Gaza War Consensus: Israeli Election Pivots on Courts and Haredi Drafts

Israelis go to the polls on Tuesday in an election that many observers describe as the most consequential in the country's history. The campaign has focused less on the ongoing war in Gaza and more on internal power dynamics within the Israeli government.

More than 74,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began. Despite this toll, the two main alliances have not included specific plans for a two-state solution or a fair settlement with Palestinians in their platforms. The primary division among the frontrunners is domestic rather than external.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leads the hard-right coalition. He argues that the government must operate free of judicial oversight to function effectively. His rivals, a loose coalition of opponents, promise a broadly similar policy agenda but intend to govern within the law and without the more extreme elements of the current administration.

The question of Palestinian statehood remains largely unchanged among the leading contenders. 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 pursue sovereignty in occupied territory. Yair Golan of the Democrats party said a leap to two states is impossible while Israeli society remains in trauma.

Conscription of the ultra-Orthodox population is a central point of contention. Netanyahu relies on the Shas and United Torah Judaism parties for support in the Knesset. These parties have demanded legislation to overturn a Supreme Court ruling from June 25, 2024, which shields ultra-Orthodox youth from the draft. After roughly 40 ultra-Orthodox men were arrested this month for avoiding conscription, Netanyahu called the arrests 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. Eisenkot framed the vote as a choice between Netanyahu's draft-dodging government and a government of conscription. Avigdor Liberman of Yisrael Beiteinu described Netanyahu as a hostage to draft evaders.

The judicial overhaul is another major flashpoint. The government passed measures to change how judges are appointed and stripped Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara of many powers in July. These measures are due to take effect after the election. Most of the opposition has vowed to reverse them. Netanyahu argues that the judiciary must not crush the Knesset or the executive. Naftali Bennett of the Together alliance pledged to cancel all legal revolution laws as soon as the Knesset convenes.

Accountability for the October 7, 2023 attack has dominated the campaign. Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi resigned in January 2025 following inquiries into security failures. Shin Bet head Ronen Bar left in June 2025 after a dispute with the prime minister. No comparable inquiry has examined Netanyahu's role, despite reports that the UAE and Egypt warned him before the attack. Eisenkot promised a State Commission of Inquiry if he takes office.