Politics and elections in Israel

Israel is a parliamentary democracy. Citizens don't elect the Prime Minister or the President directly: they elect the Knesset (parliament), and the Knesset majority determines who governs. The country has no single written constitution: instead, a series of "Basic Laws" (Hukei Yesod) plays a quasi-constitutional role.

• The Knesset (legislature)120 members elected for 4 years. It passes laws and the budget, oversees the government and can bring it down. It can also vote to dissolve itself, triggering early elections — a very common occurrence in Israel.
• The government (executive)Led by the Prime Minister (Rosh HaMemshala), usually the leader of the largest coalition party. Ministries are divided among coalition parties according to negotiated agreements.
• The President (Nasi)Head of state, elected by the Knesset for a single 7-year term. The role is mostly ceremonial, but it has a key function after elections: the President tasks a Knesset member with forming the government. The President also holds the power of pardon.
• The judiciaryThe Supreme Court, which also sits as the High Court of Justice (Bagatz), can review government decisions and, in some cases, laws. The scope of that review has been a major political debate for several years.
• The Attorney GeneralThe Yoetz Mishpati LaMemshala is both the government's legal adviser and head of the prosecution. Their opinions are in principle binding on the administration — a role specific to the Israeli system.

Israel uses full proportional representation with a single nationwide constituency. You don't vote for a local representative: you vote for a national list (a party or an alliance of parties). The 120 seats are then divided in proportion to the votes each list receives.

• Closed listsEach list presents candidates in a fixed order. If a list wins 10 seats, its top 10 names enter the Knesset. You cannot cross out or add names.
• The electoral threshold: 3.25%A list must win at least 3.25% of valid votes to enter the Knesset, roughly 4 seats. Below that, it gets no seats and its votes don't count in the seat allocation. That's why small parties often merge before elections.
• Surplus agreements (Heskem Odafim)Two lists can sign an agreement so that their "leftover" votes (those not enough for a full seat) are combined when the last seats are allocated. This can swing a seat one way or the other.
• How lists are put togetherIt depends on the party: primaries open to members, selection by a committee, or direct choice by the party leader. In ultra-Orthodox parties, rabbinical councils traditionally approve the list.
• The letters on the ballotsEach list is identified by one to three Hebrew letters printed on its ballot. Those are the letters you will look for in the booth — find them before you go to vote.

Since the founding of the state, no party has ever won an outright majority of 61 seats on its own. Every Israeli government is therefore a coalition of several parties. The period after the election is often as decisive as the vote itself.

1. 1
   The President's consultations — After the official results are published, the President meets representatives of every elected list. Each one says which Knesset member it recommends to form the government.
2. 2
   Mandate to form a government — The President gives the task to the member most likely to assemble a majority. They have 28 days, extendable by 14, to negotiate with other parties.
3. 3
   Coalition agreements — Parties negotiate written agreements: allocation of ministries, legislative priorities, budgets. These agreements are public and often shed light on the future government's direction.
4. 4
   Confidence vote — The government must win the confidence of a Knesset majority. If it fails, the mandate can pass to another member; if no one manages to form a government, new elections are called.

An Oleh who receives Israeli citizenship on arrival (the general case under the Law of Return) gets the right to vote like any citizen. Here is what you need to know.

• Who can voteAny Israeli citizen aged 18 on election day and listed in the voter register. The register is closed several weeks before the election: for the October 27, 2026 vote, you had to be registered as a citizen by early September 2026. An Oleh who arrived after that date does not vote in this election, but will in the next one.
• No voting from abroadAbsentee or consulate voting does not exist for ordinary citizens (only some diplomats and official emissaries vote abroad). You must physically be in Israel on election day.
• An assigned polling stationYou are assigned to a specific polling station (Kalpi) based on the address registered with the Misrad Hapnim. A voting notice is mailed before the election, and you can look up your station on the Central Elections Committee website. If you moved without updating your address, you'll have to vote near the old one.
• Photo IDTeudat Zehut, Israeli passport or Israeli driver's license with photo. The mailed notice is not required; the ID is.
• A public holidayElection day is a paid day off for employees (some essential services stay open). Polling stations are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. in most localities.
• Municipal elections are differentMayors and city councils are elected separately, usually every 5 years (the last ones were held in February 2024). In those elections, non-citizen permanent residents can also vote, from age 17.

1. 1
   Go to your polling station — Polling staff (representatives of several parties) check your ID against the voter list and hand you an empty blue envelope.
2. 2
   Step behind the screen — A tray holds the ballots of every list, each showing the party's Hebrew letters and name. There are also blank ballots on which you can handwrite a list's letters if its ballot is missing.
3. 3
   Put a single ballot in the envelope — Just one. Two ballots from different lists, or a ballot with writing on it, make the vote invalid.
4. 4
   Drop the envelope in the ballot box — In view of the polling staff. You have voted — counting begins when polls close, and the first estimates (exit polls) are broadcast at 10 p.m.

In Israel, "left" and "right" mostly refer to positions on security, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the future of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), more than to economics. Other divides matter just as much: the place of religion in the state, the draft of ultra-Orthodox men, the role of the Supreme Court. In recent elections, the debate has also been largely structured around support for or opposition to the outgoing government led by Benjamin Netanyahu. The families below are listed in no order of preference; the parties named as examples are those running in 2026.

To find your bearings, it helps to know the questions on which parties differ. Each party publishes its positions; compare them on the issues that matter to you.

• Security and the conflictThe war, strategy toward Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, the future of Gaza and Judea and Samaria, the question of a Palestinian state.
• Military service and sharing the burdenThe exemption for yeshiva students and drafting ultra-Orthodox men, one of the most divisive issues of recent years.
• Justice and institutionsThe powers of the Supreme Court, how judges are appointed, the role of the Attorney General — at the heart of the judicial overhaul and the protests it has sparked since 2023.
• Religion and statePublic transport and shops on Shabbat, civil marriage, conversions, the role of the Rabbinate.
• Cost of livingHousing prices, taxes, wages, competition and consumer prices.
• Olim integrationDegree recognition, absorption benefits, access to housing — issues on which several parties make specific proposals.

When you don't yet read Hebrew well, you risk getting your news from a single source. A few simple habits:

• The official sourceThe Central Elections Committee website has the official list of parties and practical information (also in English, Russian and Arabic).
• Platforms at the sourceRead platforms directly on party websites, rather than what their opponents say about them.
• Several outletsThe Israeli press covers the whole political spectrum, and several outlets publish in English or French: mix your sources.
• Polls in perspectiveLook at the average of several pollsters rather than a single number.
• Non-partisan analysisResearch institutes such as the Israel Democracy Institute publish explanations of the electoral system and data analyses.
• Watch out for fake newsDuring the campaign, misleading messages circulate on WhatsApp and social media: check the source before sharing.