The International Stakes of Israel’s Domestic Politics

Israel’s foreign policy could prove as consequential to its future as the domestic issues dominating its politics.

Michael Oren · October 22, 2026

Not unjustifiably, most Israelis view these elections as fateful, even existential. And yet, in going to the polls to decide on their and their children’s future wellbeing and security, Israelis are scarcely giving a thought to foreign policy. Alongside such emotion-packed issues as Haredi service in the military and assigning responsibility for the disaster of October 7, the question of Israel’s overseas relations and our place in the world merits little, if any, attention. But no less than Haredi conscription and the October 7 investigation, foreign policy will have a profound and immediate impact on our lives.

Less than a week after our elections, Americans will also go to the polls. Virtually all polls indicate that the Democrats will win the House of Representatives, if not the Senate as well. Having already voted overwhelmingly to cut off military aid to Israel, Democratic majorities are liable to sever other ties—intelligence sharing and systems development. A number of extreme isolationist Republicans will likely support the decision. The chances of Congress supporting such legislation will increase significantly if the present Israeli government is reelected or, in the event of an electoral tie, remains in office until a decisive election is held. And if that government continues to fail to fully clamp down on the violence perpetrated by a small group of Jewish vigilantes in Judea and Samaria, Congress could also sanction us.

The severance of security ties and Congressionally endorsed sanctions will be vastly more damaging to Israel than the punitive measures already meted out by Britain, the Netherlands, and France. Our lives can be fundamentally, perhaps even catastrophically, altered.

Our lives can be fundamentally, perhaps even catastrophically, altered.

Israel’s ability to prevent such a disaster is not unlimited. Under the current circumstances, no Israeli leader is going to remove a single soldier from Gaza, Syria, or Lebanon. No Israeli leader is going to create a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria and redivide Jerusalem. And for some of the Democrats eager to separate from us, the reason is no longer what we do but who we are—and who we are, under any Israeli leadership, will never change. Still, to better protect Israel from future boycotts and sanctions, especially from the United States, there are several steps that the next Israeli government must take immediately upon entering office:

While continuing to explain the need for maintaining our military presence in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon, Israel must declare clearly and unequivocally that it has no intention of expanding territorially into any of those areas.

Israel must announce the formation of a special security force to suppress vigilante violence against Palestinians. Our policy must be one of total intolerance for racist violence against anyone, Jews or Arabs.

Israel must similarly end illegal settlement-building in Judea and Samaria. While upholding the inalienable right of Jews to live anywhere in our ancient homeland—whether in Jaffa, Haifa, or Beit El—we must recognize a reality in which not all of our rights can be realized at all times and places. Israel must reinforce its identity as a state of laws. Just as the ultra-Orthodox must obey them, so too, must those seeking to establish illegal settlements anywhere in the Land of Israel.

Finally, Israel must reiterate its commitment to peace. With the wounds of October 7 far from healed and war still raging around us, reiterating our interest in normalization with our neighbors may be the most difficult of the next government’s foreign policy measures. And yet, to help those friends we still have in Congress help us, we must display a willingness to pursue any peace treaty that strengthens, rather than impairs, our security, and to engage with any Middle Eastern leader willing to fully end the conflict and forgo any future claims.

None of these measures will provide us with absolute protection against boycotts and sanctions. Failure to adopt such policies, though, will aid those aiming to isolate us and increase our diplomatic and economic vulnerability.

The next Israeli government must work to render us less dependent on the U.S. and Europe, strengthening our ties with Asia, Africa, and South America. The next Israeli government must realize that, no less than pressing domestic issues, an effective foreign policy is essential for our survival.

This article was originally published on Clarity with Michael Oren on Substack.