Politics Ledger · Middle East & North Africa
Israel
Electoral democracyParliamentary republicUnitary
LightDark
In charge
Benjamin Netanyahu
Prime Minister (caretaker)
Time in power
3.8 yrs
since 2022
Government seats
45%
minority
Next national vote
2030-10
Knesset (if formation fails, early election)
Governance score
60/100
composite of five indices
Founded as a Jewish and democratic state in 1948, Israel has fought repeated wars with its neighbours, built a vibrant but deeply divided parliamentary democracy, and since 2023 has been dominated by the Gaza war and a crisis over judicial power.
Leadership
Who Governs Israel
Head of state
Isaac Herzog
President
Since 7 July 2021 · 5.3 years
Age 66 (born 1960)ManRoute to power: elected by parliament
Head of government
Holds executive powerBenjamin Netanyahu
Prime Minister (caretaker) · Likud
Since 29 December 2022 · 3.8 years
Age 77 (born 1949)ManRoute to power: elected by parliament
Ruling coalition
Caretaker: Likud, Otzma Yehudit, Religious Zionism, Shas and UTJ (about 53-54 seats after the election)
Main opposition
Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar!, Together, Democrats and Yisrael Beiteinu (about 48 seats)
Last national election
27 October 2026
Knesset
No bloc reached 61. Likud first on 27; Arab lists won 18-19, leaving coalition-building uncertain.
Next national election
By October 2030
Knesset (if formation fails, early election)
Herzog will consult parties after final results; Netanyahu is on trial for corruption.
Recent changes (last 12 months)
Parliament
Knesset (unicameral)
Seat distribution (Partial results (97% counted), 28 October 2026; final results due 4 November), ordered from economic left to right.
| Party | Ideology | Seats | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Likud (LIK) | National liberalism, Right-wing populism | 27 | governing |
| Yashar! (Eisenkot) (YSH) | Centrism, Security hawkishness | 21 | opposition |
| Together (TOG) | Centre-right | 12 | opposition |
| Joint List (Hadash-Ta'al-Balad) (JL) | Arab parties, Left-wing | 11 | opposition |
| Democrats (DEM) | Social democracy, Liberal Zionism | 8 | opposition |
| Otzma Yehudit (OY) | Kahanism, Far right | 7 | coalition |
| United Torah Judaism (UTJ) | Haredi | 7 | coalition |
| Shas (SHAS) | Sephardi Haredi | 7 | coalition |
| Yisrael Beiteinu (YB) | Secular nationalism | 7 | opposition |
| United Arab List (Ra'am) (RAAM) | Islamic conservatism, Arab interests | 7 | opposition |
| Religious Zionism (RZ) | Religious Zionism | 6 | coalition |
Ideology
Party Landscape
Each party placed on economic and social axes, sized by seats.
Institutions
The System
- Official name
- State of Israel
- Capital
- Jerusalem (status disputed internationally)
- Population
- 10 million
- Statehood
- Independence 14 May 1948; Basic Laws from 1958 (no codified constitution)
- System
- Parliamentary republic
- Structure
- Unitary
- Current constitution
- 1958
- Legislature
- Knesset
- Lower / sole chamber
- Knesset (unicameral) (120 seats)
- Electoral system
- Nationwide closed-list PR with a 3.25% threshold.
- Term limits
- None for the prime minister; the president serves one seven-year term.
Sources
- Central Elections Committee
- Times of Israel, 28 Oct 2026
- EIU Democracy Index 2024; Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2025; RSF World Press Freedom Index 2025; Transparency International CPI 2024; IPU Parline, 2026; V-Dem v15 Liberal Democracy Index (approximate five-year readings)
Last verified 2026-10-29. Party placements are editorial estimates.
Data as of 2026-10-29.