74,000 Gaza Deaths Frame Tuesday’s Israeli Election

Israel votes on Tuesday in a contest where the leading candidates largely agree on the war in Gaza but differ sharply on domestic power structures.

The election follows the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, which triggered a war that has resulted in the death of more than 74,000 people in Gaza. None of the main contenders has challenged the continuation of that war or the subsequent conflict with Iran. Most have also failed to present a clear path toward a two-state solution or a fair settlement for Palestinians living under occupation.

The Oslo Accords of the 1990s committed Israel to working toward a two-state solution, yet few contenders appear ready to honor that pledge. Prime Minister Benjamin 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, leader of the Democrats party, argued that a leap to two states is impossible while Israeli society remains in trauma.

Conscription of the ultra-Orthodox population has become a major point of contention as the economic and human costs of the wars have risen. Netanyahu relies on two ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, for support in the Knesset. These parties demand legislation to overturn a June 25, 2024, Supreme Court ruling and shield ultra-Orthodox youth from the draft. After about 40 ultra-Orthodox men were arrested this month for avoiding service, Netanyahu described the arrests as 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 a government of draft-dodging and one of conscription.

The judiciary remains a central flashpoint. Days after taking office in 2022, the government unveiled a plan to curb court power, sparking mass protests in 2023 before the war interrupted them. The coalition passed measures changing judge appointments. In July, a law stripped Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara of many powers, allowing the government to reject her legal advice. These measures are set to take effect after the election, and most opposition candidates have vowed to reverse them. The government has also boycotted Chief Justice Isaac Amit. Justice Minister Yariv Levin calls the election a chance to finish the job, while critics view it as an assault on democracy by a prime minister facing a corruption trial.

Netanyahu argues that Israel needs the people rather than the judges, and that the judiciary must not crush the Knesset. Naftali Bennett, co-leader of the Together alliance, pledged to cancel all legal revolution laws as soon as the Knesset convenes. Accountability for the October 7 failures has dominated the campaign, even though the death toll in Gaza has been absent from the platforms of the main alliances. Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi resigned in January 2025 following inquiries into security failures. Ronen Bar left the Shin Bet in June of last year after 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, while Netanyahu said his government wants an inquiry with broad public support. The proposed government-led inquiry has been deferred to the next session.