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Otzma Yehudit Sets Out Demands for Defense and Justice Portfolios Ahead of October Elections
By Drooid · · How we work
Coalition Demands Overview
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced that his Otzma Yehudit party will seek the Defense Ministry for himself and the Justice Ministry for MK Tally Gotliv in the next government. The demand was made at a campaign event in Jerusalem and forms the centerpiece of the party’s platform as the October elections approach.
Security Policy Proposals
Ben-Gvir’s defense program calls for several measures aimed at reshaping Israel’s security posture. The plan includes encouraging “voluntary emigration” from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, disarming the Palestinian Authority, and arresting senior PA officials who support terrorism. It also proposes altering the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) rules of engagement, raising soldiers’ salaries, granting land to combat soldiers, revising the IDF Code of Ethics, and opening elite units such as Unit 8200 to the broader population.
Justice System Proposals
Gotliv’s agenda as prospective justice minister focuses on curbing the influence of the attorney-general and the State Attorney’s Office. She would move to dismiss the attorney-general immediately, require Supreme Court judges to be vetted by a Knesset Constitution Committee hearing and approved by a two-thirds majority, and eliminate the “candidate selection course” used to screen judges. Additional reforms aim to toughen sentences for criminal organizations and terrorists, remove the State Attorney’s approval for investigations into incitement, sedition, and calls for disobedience, and create harsher punitive deterrence.
Political Context
Otzma Yehudit, a far-right party that has partnered with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, currently polls for roughly eight Knesset seats. The party’s demands build on a July-2026 Knesset law mandating the death penalty for terrorists—a measure the party helped pass. Its platform reflects a broader push to weaken judicial oversight and expand security authority.
Potential Impact
If the party secures the requested ministries, Israel could see a shift toward more aggressive security policies, including expanded IDF operational latitude and demographic changes in the occupied territories. Simultaneously, the justice reforms could significantly reduce the attorney-general’s independence and alter the judicial appointment process, reshaping the balance of power between the executive and the courts.