Israel election: Main issues reveal where leading candidates stand in their own words

Palestinian statehood divides candidates

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his government would prevent the creation of a Palestinian state, declaring that the land belongs to Israel. Gadi Eisenkot of the Yashar party also rejects the two-state principle, calling it a mistake.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for cancelling the Oslo Accords and promoting migration from Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The Democrats leader, Yair Golan, says a two-state solution is not possible in the current circumstances and instead backs civil separation alongside Israeli security responsibility.

Conscription and Haredi exemptions

Netanyahu has depended on the Haredi parties Shas and United Torah Judaism for Knesset support. Both have sought legislation to overturn a Supreme Court ruling from June 25, 2024, and protect ultra-Orthodox young men from conscription.

After about 40 Haredim were arrested this month for avoiding the draft, Netanyahu said the arrests threatened efforts to enlist them without coercion. Shas leader Aryeh Deri says his party will not support or join a government unless the status of yeshiva students is settled.

Eisenkot frames the election as a choice between what he calls Netanyahu’s draft-dodging government and one led by him that would conscript. Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Liberman argues Netanyahu depends on draft evaders to keep his government in power.

Legal changes and judicial oversight

The coalition has passed changes to the way judges are appointed. A law passed in July also removed many powers from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, letting the government reject her legal advice and select its own lawyers for court cases; the measures are due to take effect after the election.

Most opposition parties have promised to reverse the changes. Netanyahu says judicial reform should return, arguing that judges must not overpower the Knesset or executive branch. Naftali Bennett, co-leader of the Together alliance and a former prime minister, has pledged to cancel the legal measures when the Knesset convenes.

The government has boycotted Chief Justice Isaac Amit. Critics describe the government’s approach as an attack on democracy, while Justice Minister Yariv Levin presents the election as an opportunity to complete the judicial changes.

Security failures shape campaign backdrop

Investigations into security-service failures before and during the Hamas-led attack contributed to Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi’s resignation, announced in January 2025. They also preceded a prolonged dispute between Netanyahu and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.

Bar left his post in June last year. The article describes the clash as bitter but does not provide further details about the investigations or the circumstances of his departure.