74,000 dead: Israel's election splits on courts, not war

More than 74,000 people have been killed in Gaza, a toll that has yet to appear in the campaign platforms of the two main alliances. As Israeli voters head to the polls on Tuesday, the front-running candidates show little disagreement on the war itself or the path to a Palestinian statehood.

The primary division is domestic. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leads a hard-right government that operates with reduced judicial oversight. His opponents propose a similar policy agenda but promise to govern within existing legal frameworks and without the current administration's more extreme elements. Most contenders have failed to offer a clear route to a two-state solution, a commitment Israel made in the Oslo Accords of the 1990s.

Netanyahu has stated there will be no Palestinian state. 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. Yair Golan of the Democrats party argued that civil separation is necessary while society remains in trauma.

Conscription of the ultra-Orthodox population has become a major flashpoint as war costs rise. Netanyahu relies on Shas and United Torah Judaism for support in the Knesset. These parties demand legislation to overturn a June 25, 2024, Supreme Court ruling that shields yeshiva students from the draft. After about 40 Haredim were arrested this month for avoiding service, Netanyahu called the moves 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 one led by himself. Avigdor Liberman described Netanyahu as a hostage to the draft evaders.

The judicial overhaul remains the central legal battle. The government passed measures changing judge appointments and stripping Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara of many powers in July. Both measures take effect after the election. Most of the opposition vows to reverse them. Justice Minister Yariv Levin calls the vote a historic chance to finish the job. Netanyahu argues the judiciary must not crush the Knesset. Naftali Bennett 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 after inquiries into security failures. Shin Bet head Ronen Bar left in June of last year following 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. Netanyahu told the Knesset his government wants an inquiry with broad public support, but the proposed government-led inquiry has been deferred to the next session.