The Contenders: a visual guide to Israel’s political blocs

Right, Left, Centre, Arab, Religious: SHARON OFFENBERGER provides a digestible guide to the parties contesting the November 1 election.

Israel has 39 political parties running in this election, some on joint tickets. At least 17 factions are expected to pass the 3.25% threshold and have representatives in the new Knesset. With 61 seats needed to form the majority, that means the government is always a coalition of like-minded – and sometimes not so like-minded – partners.

The two biggest parties are Likud on the Right and Yesh Atid on the Centre-Left. Other parties line up in blocs that are partly ideological, partly demographic and partly based on personalities: the Centre-Right and anti-Bibi parties, the Left, the Ultra-Orthodox, the extreme-right Religious Zionism ticket and the Arab parties.

Likud

Yesh Atid

Centre Right and Anti-Bibi

The Left

Ultra-Orthodox

Religious Zionism

The Arab Parties