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** Three Things that Concern Israelis – No, It Is Not Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah ([link removed])
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by Nils A. Haug • September 18, 2026 at 5:00 am
* What matters most to Israelis at this time, according to Israel's former ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, is a domestic matter: that of the forthcoming October elections.
* While many parties in Israel criticize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for political gain and do their best to unseat him, it is to be hoped that he will once again emerge as prime minister of a new government following the elections. There does not appear to be a candidate of his stature or experience – or Churchillian determination to protect both Israel and the West.
* As leader of the coalition government's largest party, Likud, Netanyahu saw that the policy of former Israeli governments towards terrorism from Gaza -- "mowing the lawn" every few years in an effort to contain constant Hamas attacks -- had proved to be a devastating miscalculation.
* In 1946, Israel's future founding prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, explained to a young Shimon Peres – a future prime minister and president of Israel himself: "A statesman must decide, one way or the other: to go for peace and pay the price, or to make war, knowing what the risks and dangers are."
* The second socio-political concern is that of applying Israel's compulsory military draft to Haredi ("ultra-Orthodox") men. Israel's Supreme Court, after decades of delay, finally ordered eligible Haredi men to be conscripted in line with those from all other eligible sectors of Israel's population.... The issue continues to divide society.
* The third concern pertains to the problematic omnipotence of Israel's Supreme Court, in a country where there is no constitution and no enumerated separation of powers.... A crucial doctrine of democracy -- the separation of powers between the three branches of government -- has been disregarded by Israel's Supreme Court, which does not require a plaintiff's standing to hear a case, and makes inroads into the domains of the executive and the legislature (the Knesset).

While many parties in Israel criticize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for political gain and do their best to unseat him, it is to be hoped that he will once again emerge as prime minister of a new government following the elections. There does not appear to be a candidate of his stature or experience – or Churchillian determination to protect both Israel and the West. Pictured: Netanyahu addresses a session of the Knesset in Jerusalem on June 11, 2025. (Photo by Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images)

Most Americans, particularly Jews in America, might believe that the Israelis' primary concern is the never-ending military confrontations in Iran, Gaza, and Lebanon. Perhaps, perhaps not.

What matters most to Israelis at this time, according to Israel's former ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, is a domestic matter: that of the forthcoming October elections. These elections will decisively direct the future of the nation, for better or worse.

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