AIPAC Memo

Israel’s Upcoming Elections

July 6, 2026

This fall, Israelis will go to the polls to elect a new government and prime minister.

Israel’s national elections reflect the vibrancy of its democracy and the diversity of its population, with active participation by all elements of Israeli society, including Jews, Christians and Muslims, Arabs and Druze, and religious and secular communities.

Elections in Israel are a national holiday and voting is accessible and convenient, with free public transit and polling stations located close to voters’ homes.

Regardless of the composition of Israel’s next government, the United States must work to deepen and expand the U.S.-Israel relationship for the benefit of Americans and Israelis alike.

Parliamentary system: Israel’s government is a parliamentary system, in which voters cast ballots for a political party rather than for individual candidates. The leader of the party with the most votes typically, but not always, forms a coalition government and becomes the prime minister.
Automatic voter registration: All Israeli citizens ages 18 and older have the right to vote and are automatically registered. Election day is a national holiday, ensuring every citizen has the opportunity to vote.
Four-year term: Israelis elect their parliament, the Knesset, for a four-year term. However, Israeli governments can call for early elections before the term is up.
3.25% party threshold: Each party that receives at least 3.25% of the national vote is allotted a proportional number of seats in the 120-member Knesset.‍
Party candidate lists: Each party submits a ranked list of prospective candidates, which determines who will sit in the Knesset. For example, if a party wins 10 seats in the election, the top 10 candidates on the party list join the Knesset.
Accessible and convenient: Voting is designed to be accessible and convenient. Public transit runs free of charge on election day, and polling stations are positioned near voters’ homes. Accommodations are made for people with disabilities, with special voting locations in hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, and military bases—factors that help contribute to voter turnout of roughly 70%.

Every Israeli, regardless of religion or ethnicity, is automatically registered to vote and eligible to participate in the political process.
Israel’s population is diverse: About 21% is non-Jewish, with Arab Israelis as the largest minority, primarily Muslim, alongside smaller Christian and Druze communities.
Arab citizens are about one-fifth of Israel’s population and have the right to vote, run for office, and form their own parties; Arab-majority parties today typically hold around 10–15 of the 120 Knesset seats when turnout is high.

61 out of 120 seats are required to form a government and choose a prime minister. No single party has ever won a 61-seat majority. Therefore, a coalition of parties must be assembled.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog will choose a member of Knesset (MK) to whom he will give the opportunity to form a coalition. Ordinarily, the president chooses the MK whose party won the most seats in the Knesset, but not always; the president typically chooses the MK most likely to form a government.
The chosen individual has up to four weeks to assemble a coalition of at least 61 MKs. If he or she fails, the president can turn to another MK or allot two more weeks to the original MK. In total, three attempts may be made to form a government, after which, if a government cannot be formed, a new election is called.
There were five rounds of elections from April 2019 to November 2022 following successive failures to form a government. The previous government and prime minister continue to govern until a new coalition is formed.

In the last election in November 2022, 39 parties were on the ballot and 10 reached the necessary electoral threshold to be included in the Knesset.
Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu is the current prime minister of Israel and is running again.
The governing coalition that formed after the last election includes two ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, right-wing parties Otzma Yehudit (Itamar Ben-Gvir’s party) and Religious Zionism (Betzalel Smotrich’s party), and the center-right party New Hope (Gideon Sa’ar’s party).
Former Prime Ministers Naftali Bennet and Yair Lapid announced the formation of the Beyachad (“Together”) party. Their party represents a coalition of the center-right and center-left.
Other parties that are currently projected to cross the 3.25% threshold are Yashar, the centrist party led by former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, Yisrael Beiteinu, the secular right-wing party led by Avigdor Lieberman, and The Democrats, the left-wing party led by Yair Golan. There are also three Arab parties which run on a joint list and are expected to hold seats in the Knesset: Ra’am (United Arab List), Hadash-Ta’al and Balad.
Additional political parties may emerge as the election draws closer, and existing parties may merge or drop out to avoid falling below the electoral threshold.

The Way Forward

Israel is currently set to hold elections this fall. On June 1, a bill to dissolve the Knesset passed its first of three readings. If the bill passes three readings, Israel will move to early elections, which would take place earlier in October. Regardless of the next government in Israel, the United States must continue to stand with our democratic ally and advance the bilateral partnership that benefits both countries.

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Israel’s Upcoming Elections

How Do Elections in Israel Work?

Israel’s Broad and Diverse Political Participation

What Happens After Elections?

Key Players and Parties:

The Way Forward