A Nation Divided at the Polls: Key Issues Shaping Israel's Upcoming Elections

As Israel approaches its critical general elections scheduled for October 27, analysts, sociologists, and pollsters agree that the political landscape is deeply fractured. While past elections typically focused on future dealings with the Palestinians, today there is a near-universal animosity towards the Palestinians and the prospect of a two-state solution among the Jewish electorate.

Instead, Jewish voters face fundamental questions about the nature of Israeli democracy, the legitimacy of governing coalitions, and the broader representation of the state. Meanwhile, Palestinian citizens of Israel hope for a coalition that might curb the violence and lawlessness plaguing their neighborhoods.

Social-political psychologist Daniel Bar-Tal notes that key concerns for Jewish voters include the far-right coalition government's attempts to bypass democratic norms and halt the de facto exemption of Israel's ultra-Orthodox minority from military conscription. According to Bar-Tal, a vital task will be reversing the appointment of loyalists to critical positions under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which critics argue has undermined the civil service and security forces, including the army, Shabak, and Mossad.

Overshadowing the entire election is the legacy of October 7, 2023, when 1,139 people were killed in Hamas-led raids and the subsequent Israeli military counteroffensive. The event continues to dominate the Israeli popular consciousness, while the tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties in Gaza are largely ignored. Calls for an inquiry into how the attack occurred—and specifically Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's role in the security breach—have largely replaced discussions about a potential independent Palestinian state under the Oslo Accords.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly utilized ongoing conflicts to defer corruption trials and resist holding an independent inquiry. Prominent Israeli sociologist Yehouda Shenhav-Shahrabani points out that a significant portion of the population simply wants to remove Netanyahu from power, viewing him as central to the nation's ongoing crises, with even Likud party members showing reluctance to support him.

Broader questions regarding governance and democracy have also taken center stage. Critics have heavily condemned the 2023 judicial overhaul and efforts to weaken the judiciary, sideline oversight institutions, and place loyalists across various security branches. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has even made the dismissal of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara a condition for joining any future coalition government.

Crisis Group’s Mairav Zonszein emphasizes that domestic issues dominate the voter base, particularly the intense divide over judicial reforms. Meanwhile, mainstream Jewish political parties have largely ruled out forming coalitions with Arab parties, leaving Israel's Palestinian citizens politically voiceless amid rising crime rates and systemic neglect. In the ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, community, opposition to military conscription remains a major combustible issue, sparking intense friction with secular politicians like Yair Golan as the nation grapples with the demands of prolonged military engagement.