Tablets Barbarians Podcast to Preview Israels 2026 Election Amid Haredi Conscription Debate and Judicial Reform Fallout

On Thursday, July 16, Tablet Magazine will livestream a recording of its long‑running podcast, the Barbarians, for subscribers. In a highly anticipated episode, the show will turn its focus to the political pulse that will shape Israel’s next chapter.

Featuring editor‑at‑large Liel Leibovitz, columnist Lee Smith, news editor Tony Badran, Scroll senior writer Park MacDougald, and special guest Gadi Taub, host of the Israel Update podcast, the discussion will dissect three pressing issues: Haredi conscription, the lineup of candidates poised to replace former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the fallout from the 2023 judicial reform protests.

The 2026 Israeli legislative election is scheduled for 27 October. The next Knesset will be elected under a proportional‑representation system with a 3.25 % threshold. The political scene has been reshaped by the formation of the Together alliance—led by former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid—expected to run with Bennett as its candidate. The Democrats, a merger of the Labor and Meretz parties, also plan to contest the vote.

In June 2024, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that Haredi Jews are eligible for compulsory military service, ending an arrangement based on the principle of Torato Umanuto that had exempted them for decades. The Israel Defense Forces began drafting Haredi men the following month, sparking protests from the community. The issue remains highly contentious, with arguments that conscription would alter the demographic balance of the state and affect the political influence of the Haredi electorate.

The government’s 2025 reform bill, passed on 27 March, changed the composition of the Judicial Selection Committee, giving the ruling coalition greater influence over judicial appointments. Earlier attempts to overhaul the judiciary in 2023 were met with widespread protests that stretched from January to October, leading to a temporary pause in the reform process. The Supreme Court struck down a 2023 bill that would have removed the court’s ability to review government actions on grounds of reasonableness, and it has continued to check the legality of subsequent measures.

Since 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel have been at war with Iran, following a joint airstrike that killed several Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The conflict has drawn in regional actors such as Hezbollah and has led to a series of missile and drone attacks on Israeli and allied targets. The war’s economic and political ramifications are expected to influence voter sentiment in the upcoming election.

While the episode will not offer definitive answers about who will succeed Netanyahu, it will provide expert analysis of the candidates’ platforms, their positions on the judiciary, and their stances on conscription. It will also examine how the protests that erupted in 2023 and the ongoing war with Iran shape public opinion and the political calculus of parties.

The live recording is exclusive to Tablet subscribers. Those who wish to view the event and future episodes can subscribe via Tablet’s website.

In summary, the Barbarians podcast will serve as a timely briefing on Israel’s political trajectory as the country heads toward its 2026 election. It will contextualize the Haredi conscription debate, the judicial reform saga, and the impact of the Iran war, offering listeners a comprehensive overview of the forces shaping Israel’s future.