Explainer: How Israel's Knesset Election Works, and Why 61 Is the Magic Number
Israelis vote for parties, not candidates. Here is how a government gets formed.
By Watchman Report staff ·
Israel's parliament, the Knesset, has 120 seats. Voters choose a party list, and seats are divided in proportion to each party's national vote. To win any seats, a party must get at least 3.25% of the vote.
To govern, a prime minister needs a coalition of at least 61 seats, a majority. Because no single party ever wins that many, parties bargain after the vote. The Times of Israel notes 38 parties are running this year, but no more than 15 are likely to cross the threshold.
That is why small parties matter. If a party in one bloc falls just below 3.25%, its votes count for nothing, and the balance can tip. Current polls show neither Netanyahu's bloc nor the opposition with a clear path to 61.
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