Military service, political accountability and economic pressures divide Israeli voters.
JERUSALEM
Israel is preparing for its first general election since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, with voters scheduled to cast their ballots on October 27 amid continuing regional conflict. While military operations against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran dominate international perceptions of the country, the electoral contest has increasingly focused on domestic disagreements over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership, military service and institutional accountability.
Netanyahu is seeking to extend his political career against an opposition whose principal challenger is former military chief Gadi Eisenkot. The contest comes after three years of conflict that have profoundly affected Israeli society and intensified disagreements about responsibility for national security failures.
According to the Israel Democracy Institute, approximately 68% of Jewish Israeli respondents consider the events of October 7 central to their voting decisions. Among Arab citizens, the figure stands at 32%, with crime and personal security receiving greater attention.
Military conscription has become another major dividing issue. Most Jewish Israelis are required to perform military service, while exemptions for ultra-Orthodox religious students have generated growing resentment as reservists face repeated deployments.
Approximately 13,000 ultra-Orthodox men reach military age annually, but fewer than one in ten enlist, according to figures cited in the election coverage.
Netanyahu’s political alliances have historically depended on ultra-Orthodox parties that defend exemptions for religious students. Eisenkot has pledged to end the existing arrangements, presenting military participation as a question of shared civic responsibility.
Judicial reform remains another source of disagreement, although its electoral importance has declined since the mass demonstrations of 2023.
Supporters of Netanyahu argue that changes to judicial appointments would strengthen democratic accountability over unelected judges. Opponents warn that the measures could weaken institutional checks on executive authority.
A law expanding government influence over judicial appointments is expected to take effect when the next Knesset is constituted. Opposition parties have promised to repeal it.
Economic concerns have received comparatively limited campaign attention. Israel’s high cost of living and substantial military expenditure continue to affect households, despite arguments from the government that its policies have supported growth and technological development.
The conflict’s humanitarian and geopolitical consequences also remain relevant. Israel’s operations in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, together with its confrontations with Iran, have generated international criticism and legal scrutiny.
Yet the main electoral blocs show limited differences on several central questions concerning Palestinian statehood and Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Israel’s proportional electoral system introduces another uncertainty. Voters elect party lists to a 120-seat parliament, and forming a government requires securing support from at least 61 lawmakers.
Consequently, the party winning the largest number of seats does not automatically obtain the premiership. Coalition negotiations will determine whether Netanyahu remains in office or another leader assembles a governing majority.
No election results are available before Tuesday’s vote.
The central question is whether Israeli voters will prioritize Netanyahu’s record as a wartime leader or the domestic political and institutional controversies surrounding his government.
Beyond the Headlines, Accountability Matters.