Israelis vote today for 120 Knesset seats

Israelis cast ballots today to elect the 120 members of the Knesset, with the outcome determined by which blocs can form a governing majority.

The election features two main coalitions competing for power. The right-wing bloc is led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party. The opposition bloc is led by Gadi Eisenkot, the former IDF chief of staff, and his centrist party Yashar.

Likud, identified by the Hebrew letters 'Machal' on the ballot, emphasizes national security and Jewish nationalism. It opposes Palestinian statehood and currently heads the sitting government.

Yashar, marked with 'Derach,' focuses on government reform and replacing Netanyahu. It competes with Naftali Bennett's B'Yachad party, which is marked 'Rak.' B'Yachad also runs in the opposition bloc and prioritizes economic growth and mandatory military service for ultra-Orthodox men.

Other opposition parties include Yair Golan's Democrats, a left-wing Zionist group focused on civil rights and military equality. Avigdor Liberman's Yisrael Beytenu, marked 'L,' is a secular nationalist party that seeks to reduce the influence of religious parties in government.

The Netanyahu coalition includes Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit, a far-right party advocating for expanded settlements and tougher law enforcement. It also includes the Religious Zionist Party-Zehut, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Moshe Feiglin. This party supports applying Israeli sovereignty to the West Bank and advancing judicial reform.

Two ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, remain part of the Netanyahu bloc. They prioritize protecting religious institutions and maintaining exemptions from military service for yeshiva students. Shas represents Sephardi and Mizrahi communities, while United Torah Judaism represents Ashkenazi communities.

Arab Israeli voters choose between the Joint List and Ra'am. The Joint List is left-wing and emphasizes Palestinian national rights. Ra'am, led by Mansour Abbas, takes a pragmatic approach focused on crime and funding for Arab communities.

Three parties face uncertainty as they hover near the 3.25 percent electoral threshold. The People of Israel party, led by former general Ofer Winter, is a right-wing list that supports Netanyahu and demands haredi enlistment. The Reservists-Economic Party, led by Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zelekha, combines security goals with economic reform and demands a universal conscription law before forming a government.

The Haredi Public Party, led by Moti Leitner, offers an alternative to the established ultra-Orthodox parties. It supports broader national service and core curriculum studies in math and English for haredi students. Recent polls place these three parties near the threshold, meaning small shifts in support will determine if they enter the next Knesset.