ISRAEL IS GOING TO THE POLLS

Israel is going to the polls on October 27, and it's described as one of the most critical elections in its history.

Israel operates under a proportional representation system, leading to a multi-party landscape structured primarily around security, religion, governance, and traditional political blocs. There are four main groups:

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Right-Wing & National Camp: Led by Likud (governing party under Benjamin Netanyahu), promoting conservative economic policies and hawkish security strategies. Hard-right, nationalist elements are represented by Otzma Yehudit and the Religious Zionist Party, which focus heavily on national security and settlement expansion. 

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Ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Parties: Shas (representing Sephardic Haredim) and United Torah Judaism (representing Ashkenazi Haredim) prioritize religious law, state funding for religious institutions, and draft exemptions for religious scholars. 

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Centre & Opposition Blocs: Liberal and centre-left groups focus on institutional checks, secular governance, and economic reforms. Key forces include Yesh Atid (led by Yair Lapid) and Blue and White (led by Benny Gantz). On the left, The Democrats (a union of the historic Labor and Meretz parties) champion social democracy and a two-state approach. Yisrael Beiteinu represents secular, right-leaning voters.

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Arab-Led Parties: Ra'am (United Arab List) focuses on civil rights, pragmatism, and municipal funding for Arab Israeli communities, alongside parties like Hadash-Ta'al, which advocate for Palestinian rights and Arab-Jewish equality.

Who are the current front-runners? See tomorrow's post.