Israeli Election: Voters Weigh Court Power and Draft Rules

Voters in Israel face a Tuesday ballot where the leading candidates largely agree on the war in Gaza and the status of Palestinian statehood. The primary differences lie in domestic governance, specifically regarding the power of the Supreme Court and the military service requirements for ultra-Orthodox citizens.

None of the main contenders have challenged the conflict that began after the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, or the subsequent war with Iran. Most have also failed to propose a clear path toward a two-state solution. The Oslo Accords of the 1990s committed Israel to working toward such a settlement, but few leaders appear ready to honor that pledge.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised that there will be no Palestinian state. Gadi Eisenkot, the leader 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. Yair Golan, the leader of the Democrats party, stated that a leap to two states is impossible while Israeli society remains in trauma, pointing instead to civil separation and security responsibility.

The government is widely accused of supporting settler attacks in the West Bank and backing construction in occupied territory in defiance of international law. This includes the E1 settlement plan, which ministers say will end the two-state idea. The real dividing line for voters is the choice between the hard-right government of Netanyahu, which would be free of judicial oversight, and a loose coalition of opponents who promise a similar policy agenda within the law.

Conscription of the growing ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, population has become a central issue as the costs of the wars mount. Netanyahu depends on two main Haredi parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, for support in the Knesset. These parties have demanded legislation to overturn a Supreme Court ruling from June 25, 2024, which would shield ultra-Orthodox youth from the draft.

After about 40 Haredim were arrested this month for avoiding conscription, Netanyahu described the arrests as a deliberate attempt to harm the drafting process without coercion. 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 called Netanyahu a hostage to the draft evaders.

The judicial overhaul is another major point of contention. Days after taking office in 2022, the government unveiled a plan to curb the courts, which sparked months of protests in 2023 before the Gaza war interrupted them. The coalition has passed measures changing how judges are appointed. In July, a law stripped Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara of many powers, allowing the government to reject her legal advice and choose its own lawyers in court.

Both judicial measures are due to take effect after the election, and most of the opposition has vowed to reverse them. Critics call the changes an assault on democracy by a prime minister facing a corruption trial, while Justice Minister Yariv Levin calls the election a chance to finish the job. Netanyahu argues that Israel needs the people, not the judges, and says the judiciary must not crush the Knesset or the executive. Naftali Bennett, co-leader of the Together alliance, pledged to cancel all the legal revolution laws as soon as the Knesset convenes.

Accountability for the October 7 attack has dominated the campaign, even as the killing of more than 74,000 people in Gaza has been absent from the platforms of the two main alliances. Inquiries into security failures led Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi to announce his resignation in January 2025. A dispute with the prime minister ended with Shin Bet head Ronen Bar leaving in June last year. No comparable inquiry has examined Netanyahu's role, despite reports that the UAE and Egypt warned him before the attack.

Eisenkot said Netanyahu was warned and did not act, and promised a State Commission of Inquiry. Netanyahu told the Knesset his government wants an inquiry with as broad public support as possible. The proposed government-led inquiry never reached its final reading and has been deferred to the next session.