Election Day: A complete guide to Israel’s political parties and what they stand for

OCTOBER 27, 2026 06:32Israelis head to the polls today to elect the country's next Knesset, with parties competing for votes and a chance to shape the country's future.But what does each party stand for, who leads it, and what are its key policies and priorities?The Jerusalem Post has prepared a series of explainers breaking down the platforms, leaders, and main positions of all the main parties running in the election.Explore our guides below to learn what each party stands for before casting your vote.Ballot papers of various political parties are displayed at the Central Elections Committee warehouse in Shoham, ahead of Israel’s upcoming general elections, October 14, 2026 (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)What does Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar stand for?Led by former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, Yashar is a centrist party focused on national security, government reform, and replacing Benjamin Netanyahu. Yashar is part of the opposition bloc.Ballot letters: דרך | Explore Yashar’s policies and platformWhat does Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud stand for?Led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Likud is a right-wing party that emphasizes national security, Jewish nationalism, and a strong stance against Palestinian statehood. The Likud heads the right-wing bloc and Netanyahu's sitting coalition.Ballot letters: מחל | Explore Likud’s policies and platformWhat does Naftali Bennett’s B’Yachad stand for?Led by former prime minister Naftali Bennett, B’Yachad is a centrist party focused on government reform, economic growth, and the enlistment of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men into the IDF. B'Yachad is part of the opposition bloc.Ballot letters: רק | Explore B’Yachad’s policies and platformWhat does Yair Golan’s Democrats stand for?Led by Yair Golan, the Democrats is a left-wing, Zionist party that emphasizes liberal democracy, civil rights, education reform, and a greater equality in military service. The Democrats is part of the opposition bloc.Ballot letters: אמת | Explore the Democrats’ policies and platformYair Golan, chairman of The Democrats party, with party members following the announcement of the results of The Democrats party primaries ahead of the upcoming elections, in Tel Aviv, Israel, July 20, 2026. (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)What does Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu stand for?Led by Avigdor Liberman, Yisrael Beytenu is a right-wing, secular nationalist party focused on national security, a tougher stance against Hamas, and reducing the influence of religious parties in government. Yisrael Beytenu is part of the opposition bloc.Ballot letter: ל | Explore Yisrael Beytenu’s policies and platformWhat does Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit stand for?Led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Otzma Yehudit is a far-right nationalist party that advocates a hardline approach to security threats, expanded Jewish settlement, and tougher law enforcement. Otzma Yehudit is part of the Netanyahu bloc and the sitting coalition.Ballot letter: ב | Explore Otzma Yehudit’s policies and platformElection billboards for Otzma Yehudit party and its party head Itamar Ben Gvir, in Ramat Gan. October 04, 2026. (credit: MIRIAM ALSTER/FLASH90)What do the Joint List and Ra’am stand for?The Joint List and Ra’am represent different strands of Arab Israeli politics. The Joint List is generally left-wing and emphasizes equality, civil rights, and Palestinian national rights, while Mansour Abbas’s Ra’am takes a more pragmatic approach focused on tackling crime, securing funding, and improving living conditions in Arab communities.Ballot letters: ודם (Joint List); עמ (Ra'am) | Explore the Joint List and Ra’am’s policies and platformWhat do Shas and United Torah Judaism stand for?Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) are ultra-Orthodox (haredi) parties that prioritize protecting the status of religious institutions in Israel and maintaining broad exemptions from IDF service for yeshiva students.Shas primarily represents Sephardi and Mizrahi haredi and religious Jews, while UTJ represents Ashkenazi haredi communities. Both parties are part of the Netanyahu bloc and were part of the sitting coalition.Ballot letters: שס (Shas); ג (UTJ) | Explore Shas and United Torah Judaism’s policies and platformWhat does Bezalel Smotrich’s RZP-Zehut stand for?Led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Zehut leader Moshe Feiglin, Religious Zionist Party-Zehut is a far-right, religious-nationalist party that supports expanding West Bank settlements, applying Israeli sovereignty over the territory, and advancing judicial reform. RZP is part of the Netanyahu bloc and the sitting coalition.Ballot letter: ט | Explore Religious Zionist Party’s policies and platformWhat about the parties hovering above - or below - the electoral threshold?Several parties are fighting to secure enough votes to enter the Knesset, with the 3.25% electoral threshold determining which lists win parliamentary representation. For these parties, even a small shift in voter support could determine whether they enter the next Knesset or leave their supporters without representation.Recent polls have placed the People of Israel party and the Reservists-Economic Party near the threshold, with their standings varying between surveys. Their results could have a significant impact on the balance between the political blocs.Led by former IDF general Ofer Winter, People of Israel is a right-wing party that supports Benjamin Netanyahu for prime minister and calls for new leadership outside the political establishment.It makes haredi enlistment a condition for joining a government, rejects blanket exemptions for yeshiva students, and advocates a hardline security policy, including voluntary emigration from Gaza.People of Israel chairman Ofer Winter speaks during a press conference in Tel Aviv, October 14, 2026 (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)The Reservists-Economic Party, led by former minister Yoaz Hendel and economist Yaron Zelekha, combines a right-leaning Zionist and security agenda with an emphasis on economic reform. The party says it will join only a Zionist government and demands that a universal conscription law be passed before a government is formed.Led by Moti Leitner, the Haredi Public Party seeks to offer an alternative to the established ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism. It supports broader haredi military or national service, core-curriculum studies including math and English, and greater accountability from haredi political leadership.Ballot letters: ך (People of Israel); די (Reservists-Economic Party); זך (Haredi Public) | Explore these parties’ policies and platformsFollow us on Google