October 25, 2026 As Israelis prepare to vote on Tuesday, understanding the country’s unique electoral system is essential to understanding who will lead the next government and why even the smallest political parties could make all the difference. By World Israel News Staff On Tuesday, October 27, Israelis will head to the polls in one of the country’s most consequential elections in years. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to remain in power, while a collection of rival parties hopes to replace him. But unlike in the United States, Israelis will not directly vote for Netanyahu or any other candidate for prime minister. Instead, they will vote for political parties, which will then negotiate among themselves to determine who forms the next government. The process can be confusing, particularly for those accustomed to American elections. Israel’s parliamentary system places enormous importance on post-election negotiations, with rival parties joining forces to form a government and smaller factions often wielding influence far beyond their size. Here is how the system works, who the major players are, and what could happen after Tuesday’s vote. The Knesset: 120 Seats and the Magic Number 61 Israel’s parliament, known as the Knesset, consists of 120 members, commonly called MKs. To form a conventional majority government, a prime minister needs the support of parties controlling at least 61 seats, representing a majority of the Knesset. Unlike the United States, where two major parties dominate national politics, Israel has numerous political parties representing different religious, ideological, economic, and social interests. Each party receives Knesset seats roughly in proportion to its share of the vote. Every party submits a ranked list of candidates before the election. If Likud wins 25 seats, for example, the first 25 eligible candidates on its list become Knesset members. No single party has ever won an outright majority of the 120-seat Knesset. Consequently, coalition governments, in which multiple parties agree to govern together, have been a permanent feature of Israeli politics.