Israeli election candidates outline positions on two-state solution, draft policy and judicial reforms

Israel's parliamentary election featured a sharp divide over internal policies rather than the ongoing conflict with Gaza. Candidates from the incumbent government and opposition coalitions presented contrasting visions on judicial reform, military conscription of the ultra-Orthodox community and the prospect of a two-state solution.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his stance against a Palestinian state, saying, "We are going to fulfill our promise that there will be no Palestinian state; this place belongs to us." In contrast, Yair Golan of the Democratic party called for a new approach, noting that "Israeli society is still in trauma from October 7" and that a two-state solution is currently unattainable.

On the issue of Haredi draft exemptions, Netanyahu defended the existing arrangement, stating, "We must preserve the world of Torah because it preserved us. These arrests are a deliberate attempt to harm the process of drafting Haredim without coercion." Opponent Gadi Eisenkot framed the election as a choice between "Netanyahu’s draft-dodging government, or a government of conscription led by me."

Judicial reforms also remained a focal point. Netanyahu argued that "Democracy is the rule of the people... we have to make sure it doesn’t crush the legislative branch, the Knesset or the executive branch of government." Former prime minister Naftali Bennett, co-leader of the opposition alliance, pledged to cancel all legal-revolution laws immediately after the new Knesset convenes.

While the campaign largely omitted direct references to the Gaza war, the candidates' positions on these domestic issues are expected to shape Israel's political direction in the coming term.