Israel’s Day of Reckoning: Beyond the War, Netanyahu’s Political Survival and the Battle for Democracy

By Mars Strangelove Jr. on Duty

October 26, 2026

Source and Photo Credit: Euronews

Illustrations: Gemini

As Israelis prepare to vote, Netanyahu faces questions about October 7, military exemptions, judicial reform, and his own political survival

Israelis go to the polls on Tuesday, October 27, in their first national election since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack. After three years of war involving Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking another term while facing questions about the security failures that preceded the attacks and the decisions made by his government since then.

Yet, as Euronews reports, the campaign is not primarily a contest over the conduct of Israel’s military operations. Israel’s wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran have attracted broad support among Jewish Israelis, leaving the domestic consequences of Netanyahu’s leadership at the centre of the political debate.

October 7 remains the central question of accountability. Netanyahu has highlighted Israel’s military gains against its adversaries while placing responsibility for the security failures on the country’s security establishment. His critics argue that he has avoided full political accountability by resisting an official state commission of inquiry into how the Hamas-led assault was able to take place.

The unresolved questions extend beyond the initial security breakdown. Critics have also accused the prime minister of delaying a hostage agreement and failing to achieve a decisive outcome on Israel’s various military fronts. The last hostages returned under a ceasefire agreement last year, but the political dispute over responsibility for the October 7 disaster remains unresolved.

Another major source of friction is the exemption of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men from compulsory military service. Military service is mandatory for most Jewish Israelis, but Netanyahu’s governing coalitions have depended on ultra-Orthodox parties that defend exemptions for religious students. The arrangement has become increasingly controversial as reservists face repeated call-ups and the military struggles with personnel shortages.

Around 13,000 ultra-Orthodox men reach the age of 18 each year, but fewer than one in ten enlist, according to figures cited by Euronews. Former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu’s main challenger, has pledged to end the de facto exemptions. The issue has become a test of whether the obligations of national service should apply more equally across Israeli society.

The election also carries the legacy of Netanyahu’s 2023 attempt to overhaul Israel’s judiciary. The proposed changes sparked mass protests and raised concerns among opponents about the independence of the courts and the balance of power between the government and the judiciary. Although the issue has receded from the campaign’s centre, it remains part of the wider argument over Netanyahu’s political record and the direction of Israeli democracy.

On the Palestinian question, however, the main political blocs offer little fundamental difference. Both are dominated by parties that support Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state. No leading candidate is campaigning for a revival of the peace process. The election may therefore bring a change in leadership without necessarily producing a change in the underlying approach to Palestinian statehood.

The campaign also reflects a striking divide within Israeli society. According to the Israel Democracy Institute, approximately 68% of Jewish Israelis say their views on October 7 are central to their voting decisions. Among Arab citizens of Israel, the figure is 32%, with crime identified as the principal concern for most. The figures underline that voters do not approach the election with identical priorities, even as the country continues to confront the consequences of war.

Netanyahu’s opponents are challenging not simply his security record but his claim to remain the person best placed to lead Israel through a prolonged national crisis. His supporters point to military operations and the experience he has accumulated over decades in power. His critics demand answers about October 7, the distribution of military obligations and the institutions that constrain executive power. 

Ultimately, Tuesday’s vote will determine the composition of the next Knesset, but the outcome will not automatically resolve those disputes. In an election dominated by the question of Netanyahu himself, the deeper issue is whether Israelis believe the country’s future requires continuity in leadership or a new political direction.