Netanyahu's Likud and 14 Other Lists Compete for 120 Knesset Seats

Israel's major parties and three lists hovering near the electoral cutoff are competing today for 120 seats in the Knesset, with a 3.25% threshold determining which parties win parliamentary representation. Recent polls have placed the People of Israel party and the Reservists-Economic Party near that line, with their standings varying between surveys.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leads Likud, a right-wing party that emphasizes national security, Jewish nationalism, and opposition to Palestinian statehood. Likud heads the right-wing bloc and Netanyahu's sitting coalition. Former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot leads the centrist Yashar party, which focuses on national security, government reform, and replacing Netanyahu. Yashar sits in the opposition bloc.

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett leads B'Yachad, a centrist party focused on government reform, economic growth, and enlistment of haredi men into the IDF. Yair Golan leads the Democrats, a left-wing Zionist party that emphasizes liberal democracy, civil rights, education reform, and greater equality in military service. Avigdor Liberman leads Yisrael Beytenu, a right-wing, secular nationalist party focused on national security and reducing religious parties' influence in government. All three are part of the opposition bloc.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir leads Otzma Yehudit, a far-right party advocating a hardline security approach, expanded Jewish settlement, and tougher law enforcement. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Zehut leader Moshe Feiglin lead Religious Zionist Party-Zehut, which supports expanding West Bank settlements, applying Israeli sovereignty over the territory, and judicial reform. Both are part of the Netanyahu bloc and the sitting coalition.

Shas and United Torah Judaism are ultra-Orthodox parties that prioritize protecting religious institutions and maintaining exemptions from IDF service for yeshiva students. Shas represents Sephardi and Mizrahi haredi and religious Jews; UTJ represents Ashkenazi haredi communities. Both sit in the Netanyahu bloc and the sitting coalition. The Joint List and Ra'am represent different strands of Arab Israeli politics, with Ra'am led by Mansour Abbas.

Three lists compete near the threshold. People of Israel, led by former IDF general Ofer Winter, supports Netanyahu for prime minister and calls for new leadership outside the political establishment, and makes haredi enlistment a condition for joining a government. The Reservists-Economic Party, led by former minister Yoaz Hendel and economist Yaron Zelekha, combines a right-leaning Zionist and security agenda with economic reform, and will join only a Zionist government. The Haredi Public Party, led by Moti Leitner, seeks to offer an alternative to Shas and UTJ and supports broader haredi military or national service. The threshold for Knesset representation stands at 3.25%.