Israel votes Tuesday on domestic splits

Israelis go to the polls on Tuesday to choose between a hard-right bloc and a fragmented opposition, with the two sides largely aligned on their approach to the war in Gaza and the future of a Palestinian state.

More than 74,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began after the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. Despite this toll, neither the ruling alliance nor the main opposition coalition has proposed a distinct strategy to end the war or establish a clear path to a two-state solution.

The central divide is domestic. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to retain a government free from judicial oversight, while his opponents promise to govern within the law without the current administration's more extreme elements.

Candidates have offered little variation on the issue of statehood. Netanyahu has stated there will be no Palestinian state, and Gadi Eisenkot of the Yashar party called the two-state principle a mistake. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged the next government to cancel the Oslo Accords and pursue sovereignty, while Yair Golan of the Democrats party argued for civil separation rather than immediate statehood.

Conscription for the ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, population has become a major point of contention. Netanyahu relies on the Shas and United Torah Judaism parties for Knesset support. These groups demand legislation to overturn the Supreme Court ruling of June 25, 2024, which shields ultra-Orthodox youth from the draft.

After approximately 40 Haredim were arrested this month for avoiding conscription, Netanyahu described the move as a deliberate attempt to harm the drafting process. Shas leader Aryeh Deri stated his party would not join any government without regulated status for yeshiva students. Eisenkot framed the election as a choice between Netanyahu's draft-dodging government and a conscription-led administration.

The judicial overhaul remains a flashpoint. The current government passed measures in July to strip Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara of many powers, allowing the executive to reject her legal advice. These changes take effect after the election, and most opposition parties have vowed to reverse them. Netanyahu argued that the judiciary must not crush the Knesset, while Naftali Bennett pledged to cancel all legal revolution laws as soon as the new Knesset convenes.

Accountability for the October 7 breach has dominated the campaign. Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi resigned in January 2025 following inquiries into security failures. A government-led inquiry into the prime minister's role was deferred to the next session. Eisenkot said Netanyahu was warned and did not act, while Netanyahu told the Knesset he wants an inquiry with broad public support.