Apr 12th, 2023
Dec 30th, 2022
Dec 7th, 2022
Led by incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Likud is fighting to keep its majority in the Knesset after 9 April.
Likud has run its campaign by attacking all opposition, using the blanket term “the left” to lambast the media, pro-Palestinian activists and any centrist or liberal political parties. Netanyahu says the left is targeting him with trumped-up accusations of corruption, which he vehemently denies.
Likud is also playing on the idea that Netanyahu has “got things done” during his time in office, highlighting US President Donald Trump’s decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem and recognise the city as Israel’s capital. Using the slogan “Netanyahu: In another league”, Likud has copied Trump’s campaign tactics and used the US president’s face in its campaigns.
Netanyahu has also tried to emphasise his drive to normalise relations with Arab and Muslim countries. Having orchestrated a number of high-profile visits to Oman, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Chad, Netanyahu has used international events such as February’s Warsaw Conference as part of his election campaigning.
In a bid to keep the right-wing bloc in power, Netanyahu has agreed to give the Jewish Home party - now aligned with the right-wing National Union and ultra-nationalist Otzma Yehudit parties - the education and housing ministries, as well as two seats in the security cabinet, should he form a government after 9 April.
Prime Minister, Defence Minister, Health Minister, Aliya Minister
General Alignment: Right
Amir Ohana
Ariel Kallner
Avi Dichter
Avraham Neguise
Benjamin Netanyahu Leader
Chaim Katz
David Amsalem
David Bitan
Eti Atiah
Gidon Sa'ar
Gila Gamliel
Gilad Erdan
Kati Shitrit
Keren Barak
Mai Golan
Michal Shir
Miki Zohar
Miri Regev
Mulla Petin
Nir Barkat
Ofir Akunis
Ofir Katz
Pinchas Idan
Sharren Haskel
Shlomo Karai
Tzachi Hanegbi
Tzipi Hotovely
Uzi Dayan
Yariv Levin
Yisrael Katz
Yoav Galant
Yoav Kisch
Yuli Edelstein
Yuval Steinitz
Ze'ev Elkin
Dec 11th, 2019
This year’s election is the Israel Resilience (Hosen L’Yisrael) party’s first appearance. It is headed by two former army Chief of Staffs, Benny Gantz and Moshe Ya’alon.
On domestic issues the party has vowed to “fix” the Nation-State Law, which last year declared Israel the “national home of the Jewish people”. It is thought this was a bid to win support from the Druze community, with whom Gantz’s and Ya’alon’s military past might resonate.
The party’s defining manifesto pledge is to put “Israel before everything”, especially on matters of security. Gantz has advocated for a hawkish approach to the besieged Gaza Strip, boasting in his first campaign video of bombing it “back to the Stone Age”. On the occupied West Bank the party has been less clear, seeming to swing between advocating for disengagement and supporting illegal settlement.
This security-focused approach extends to foreign policy, with Gantz warning regional foes Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah against testing his resolve and saying “on my watch, there will be no appeasement”.
Former Chief of General Staff
General Alignment: Centre
Alon Shuster
Alon Tal
Asaf Zamir
Avi Nissenkorn
Benny Gantz Leader
Chili Tropper
Einav Kabla
Eitan Ginzburg
Gadeer Mreeh
Gadi Yevarkan
Hila Shay Vazan
Itzhak Ilan
Izhar Shay
Meirav Cohen
Michael Biton
Miki Haimovich
Moshe Matalon
Moshe Ya'alon
Omer Yankelevich
Orit Farkash-Hacohen
Orly Fruman
Ram Shefa
Ruth Wasserman Lande
Yoaz Hendel
Zvi Hauser
Nov 26th, 2019
Nov 4th, 2019
Headed by Yair Lapid, Yesh Atid is Israel’s main centrist party and currently holds 11 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.
Yesh Atid has tried to position itself as the “only answer” to incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, which it has vehemently criticised and accused of incitement. Lapid hopes to use Netanyahu’s preoccupation with his corruption scandals against him, portraying him as self-centred and ignorant of the “rising cost of living and the waiting times in hospitals” that preoccupy Israeli voters.
Commentators have predicted that, as in the 2015 elections, Lapid will try to attract young Russian voters who no longer support Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu party but who remain somewhat right-wing.
Former Finance Minister
General Alignment: Centre
Aliza Lavie
Anat Knafo
Boaz Toporovsky
Deborah Biton
Elazar Stern
Idan Roll
Ifat Ben Shushan
Inbar Bezek
Karine Elharrar
Meir Cohen
Mickey Levy
Moshe (Kinley) Tur Paz
Naor Shiri
Nira Shpak
Ofer Shelah
Ofra Finkelshtain
Orna Barbivai
Oz Haim
Pnina Tamano-Shata
Ram Ben Barak
Ronit Yovel
Tehila Friedman-Nachalon
Vladimir Beliak
Yael German
Yair Lapid Leader
Yaron Levi
Yoav Segalovitz
Yoel Razvozov
Yorai Lahav Hertzanu
Zehorit Sorek
Jan 14th, 2019
Formed by Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked in December, 9 April will be the New Right’s first electoral outing. The party aims to appeal to secular and Orthodox voters, as opposed to the religious-Zionist camp that has traditionally supported the pair’s previous party, the Jewish Home.
The New Right party has criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party for being too left-wing. The party has therefore positioned itself as an antidote to this, vowing to strengthen the conservative camp and preserve Israel’s character as a Jewish state.
The party has also maintained Bennett’s typically hawkish security policies, seeking to apply Israeli law in Area C of the occupied West Bank in what would constitute a de facto annexation of over 60 per cent of the territory. It also opposes any future Palestinian state, vowing to stop US President Donald Trump’s “deal of the century” on these grounds.
Education Minister
General Alignment: Right
Justice Minister
General Alignment: Right
Alona Barkat
Amichai Shikli
Ayelet Shaked
Caroline Glick
Elyashiv Raichner
Matan Kahane
Naftali Bennett Leader
Ran Bar-Yosafat
Shirley Pinto
Shuli Mualem
Uri Schachter
Yom Tov Khalfon
Oct 11th, 2019
With moments to spare before the deadline to submit their slates on 21 February, Hadash (Al-Jabhah) and the Arab Movement for Renewal (Ta’al) announced that they would run together in the general election on 9 April.
Both are former parties of the Joint List - an alliance which ran in the 2015 election to ensure its four Arab-dominated parties met the minimum threshold needed to sit in the Knesset. Hadash leader Ayman Odeh has vowed that this year Palestinian citizens of Israel will vote “in droves”, reclaiming the controversial phrase used against the community by incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his 2015 election campaign.
The parties are predominantly comprised of Palestinian citizens of Israel, with the exception of one Jewish-Israeli candidate in Hadash - Ofer Cassif. As such, the alliance is expected to campaign on Palestinian issues such as revoking the Nation-State Law, which failed to mention the community and has effectively declared them second-class citizens.
Cassif recently received approval from Israel’s Supreme Court allowing him to run in this year’s election following a decision by Israel’s Election Committee to ban him. Right-wing committee members had claimed that Cassif rejects Israel as a Jewish and democratic state and therefore should not be allowed to run. For his part, Cassif claimed the ban is the product of an effort by the right-wing to prevent Jewish-Arab cooperation.
The alliance is also expected to lobby for other Palestinian citizens’ interests, including equal distribution of resources, access to planning permits and job opportunities. The leader of Ta’al, Ahmad Tibi, has called for an alliance of centrist and left-wing parties to oust Netanyahu, whose government he called “catastrophic”.
Ahmad Tibi
Aida Touma-Sliman
Ayman Odeh Leader
Jaber Asakli
Ofer Cassif
Osama Saadi
Sundus Saleh
Talal Al-Krenawi
Yousef Atauna
Yousef Jabareen
Nov 25th, 2019
Sep 25th, 2019
The National Democratic Union (Balad) and the United Arab List (Ra’am) parties have announced they will run together in the upcoming election on 9 April.
Faced with the dispansion of the Joint List alliance - which previously saw Israel’s four Arab-dominated parties merge to contest the 2015 election - the parties looked unlikely to meet the 3.25 per cent of the vote needed to sit in the Knesset if they decided to run alone. Their current alliance is expected to alleviate this problem, granting them at least four seats in the 120-seat Knesset.
Ra’am is generally popular with Palestinian Bedouin voters, most of whom live in the Negev (Naqab) desert in southern Israel, and is seen as supporting Palestinian national positions. Balad is also a nationalist party, declaring itself “an inseparable part of the Palestinian national movement.” The two parties’ shared values make them a natural fit for cooperation.
The Israeli Supreme Court ruled that Ra’am-Balad can run in this year’s election. The decision came after the Election Committee banned the party. Right-wing committee members claimed the alliance seeks to “eliminate Israel as a Jewish state” and supports “violent Palestinian resistance and [Lebanon’s] Hezbollah”. For its part, Ra’am-Balad vehemently denied these claims, labelling the ban “a political, racist and populist decision aimed to deliver a blow to the political representation of Arab citizens [of Israel]”.
Abd al-Hakim Hajj Yahya
Heba Yazbak
Mansour Abbas Leader
Mazen Ganaim
Mtanes Shihadeh
Saeed Alkharumi
Talab Abu Arar
Mar 12th, 2019
Feb 22nd, 2019
Jan 9th, 2019
Left reeling after the departure of their two biggest personalities, Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, the Jewish Home party has struggled to find a voice for itself in the run up to 9 April. The party is now headed by Rafi Peretz and has agreed to run on a joint ticket with the right-wing National Union and Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit) parties.
Continuing to appeal to religious-Zionists, the party has tried to paint itself as a home for “all of religious society and for all of Israeli society”. Jewish Home has advocated for annexing Area C of the occupied West Bank and an expansion of illegal settlements.
Davidi Ben Zion
Erez Tzadok
Miri Abergel
Moti Yogev
Orly Rappaport
Rabbi Eli Ben Dahan
Rafi Peretz Leader
Shuki Zohar
Yonatan Dubov
Feb 4th, 2019
Dec 30th, 2018
Headed by controversial Knesset Member (MK) Bezalel Smotrich, the National Union has made an alliance with the Jewish Home and Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit) parties to run under the Union of Right Wing Parties alliance.
The National Union is itself an alliance of fringe right-wing factions, including Tkuma, Moledet and Hatikva. These parties all see themselves as religious-Zionist and openly advocate for the annexation of all or parts of the occupied West Bank, drawing most of their support from Israel’s illegal settlers living there.
Bezalel Smotrich Leader
Ofir Sofer
Feb 4th, 2019
Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) is an ultra-nationalist party which joined with the Jewish Home and National Union parties to run together in the upcoming election on 9 April.
The party holds extreme right-wing views inspired by rabbi Meir Kahane, whose Kach party was outlawed in Israel for incitement and racism and whose teachings inspired Baruch Goldstein’s massacre at Hebron’s Ibrahimi Mosque in 1994.
Otzma Yehudit has advocated for expelling non-Jewish communities from Israel and a termination of the status quo agreements on Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. It has also sought to challenge what it sees as legal red tape restricting Israeli soldiers’ actions, releasing a video which appears to advocate for a shoot to kill policy against Palestinians. Commentators have labelled the video as incitement and racism, calling for it to be banned.
As a result of its extreme views, other political parties have also lobbied for Otzma Yehudit to be banned from participating in the election. On 17 March 2019 Israel's Supreme Court ruled that the party's leader, Michael Ben Ari, is banned from running in the election as a result of comments he made about Palestinian citizens of Israel, which Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit previously said amount to "incitement to racism" and "calling for a violent renunciation of the Arab population's rights".
Itamar Ben Gvir
Michael Ben-Ari Leader
Aug 27th, 2019
A left-wing and social democratic party led by Tamar Zandberg, Meretz has used its current Knesset term to focus on a number of domestic Israeli issues. These have included women’s rights, equal rights for ethnic minorities and environmental issues.
On the question of Israel-Palestine, Meretz has been consistent in its opposition to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and has remained committed to a two-state solution.
Meretz has sought to join forces with the Israeli Labor party in order to strengthen the left-wing’s chances on 9 April, but Labor leader Avi Gabbay has rejected Zandberg’s overtures.
General Alignment: Left
Ali Shalalha
Avi Buskila
Avi Dabush
Essawi Freij
Gabby Lasky
Ilan Gilon
Mehereta Ron Baruch
Michal Rozin
Mossi Raz
Tamar Zandberg Leader
Headed by Avi Gabbay, the Israeli Labor party has been struggling in the polls since it dramatically ousted Tzipi Livni and her Hatnua party from the Zionist Union - an alliance of left-wing parties - in January.
Labor has claimed that, unlike all its political rivals, it will not join incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government should he win the 9 April election. Gabbay has lambasted Netanyahu, saying his “government is like the Mafia” and calling instead for a “government of hope”.
The party’s key campaign issues include health, education and anti-corruption, hoping to appeal to middle and working class families on socio-economic issues. However, it has been quiet on the Israel-Palestine conflict and peace - both traditionally left-wing issues.
General Alignment: Left
Amir Peretz
Avi Gabbay Leader
Itzik Shmuli
Merav Michaeli
Omer Bar-Lev
Revital Swid
Shelly Yachimovich
Stav Shaffir
Tal Russo
Jul 4th, 2019
Feb 18th, 2019
Led by Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, Shas has decided to go back to its roots for its election campaign, aiming to appeal to traditional religious voters and the Sephardic and Mizrahi (Middle Eastern Jewish) communities within Israel.
The party is running on a social justice profile, highlighting its success in reducing the price of public transport in Israel and calling for “equality between haredi, religious and secular citizens”.
Despite Deri’s best efforts to join forces with United Torah Judaism - the other ultra-Orthodox alliance that mainly represents Ashkenazi voters - no agreement has materialised, with Shas voters concerned such a move could shift the party’s priorities away from Mizrahi issues.
Minister of Interior
General Alignment: Right
Aryeh Deri Leader
David Azoulay
Meshulam Nahari
Michael Malchieli
Moshe Abutbul
Shlomo Dahan
Uriel Boso
Yaakov Margi
Yitzhak (Itzik) Cohen
Yoav Ben-Tzur
Jul 25th, 2018
Comprised of two ultra-Orthodox parties - Agudat Yisrael and Degel HaTorah - United Torah Judaism (UTJ) are maintaining their previous alliance and running on a joint slate on 9 April.
The alliance - which is led by Israel’s Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman - has vowed to stand behind incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, recommending that he form the next government even if he is indicted for corruption.
In January, Litzman took aim at the Israel Resilience party’s Benny Gantz, accusing him of having an anti-Haredi agenda after he promised to open public transport on Shabbat and introduce a form of civil marriage in Israel.
A key campaign platform for UTJ is combatting the so-called Haredi draft law, which seeks to conscript ultra-Orthodox men into the Israeli army. UTJ are vehemently opposed to this law, and have vowed to fight against it from “the day after the election”.
Eliyahu Baruchi
Eliyahu Hasid
Israel Eichler
Meir Porush
Moshe Gafni
Uri Maklev
Yaakov Litzman Leader
Yaakov Tessler
Yakov Asher
Yitzhak Pindros
Mar 6th, 2019
Headed by Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, Kulanu is a centrist party with the slogan “only Kahlon cares”. The party is playing to its strength - the domestic economy - claiming to have lowered house prices in Israel, increased the minimum wage and launched family-orientated programmes.
Kulanu has also poked fun at its rival parties’ factionalism, in a campaign video showing key political figures as cartoons engaged in a fist fight. Kulanu claims: “When everyone is fighting everyone else, only Kahlon fights for you.” It has thus far refused to join forces with other parties in order to strengthen its chances on 9 April.
Finance Minister
General Alignment: Centre
Akram Hasoon
Eli Cohen
Fentahun Seyoum
Merav Ben Ari
Moshe Kahlon Leader
Nadav Shenberger
Ram Shmuel
Roi Cohen
Roy Folkman
Tali Ploskov
Yehuda Mimran
Yifat Shasha-Biton
Oct 10th, 2018
Aug 29th, 2018
Aug 14th, 2018
A right-wing party led by former Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Yisrael Beiteinu launched its campaign in January by pledging to fight Hamas, which governs the besieged Gaza Strip.
Domestically, Lieberman has also taken aim at Israel’s ultra-Orthodox population, comparing the Haredim to Hamas with the slogan: “It doesn’t matter if you surrender to those who raise weapons [Hamas] or those who refuse to raise weapons [the Haredim]. Surrender is surrender.”
Lieberman is therefore expected to continue to push his so-called Haredi draft law forward should he join a ruling coalition after 9 April.
He has also verbally attacked Palestinian citizens of Israel, calling them a “fifth column” and accusing them of “treason”. His campaign has been seen as a populist assault on anyone Lieberman and his supporters dislike: Israel’s minorities, “the left” and Hamas.
Former Defence Minister
General Alignment: Right
Alex Kushnir
Avigdor Lieberman Leader
Eli Avidar
Elina Bardoch-Yalov
Hamad Amar
Limor Magen Telem
Mark Ifraimov
Oded Forer
Yevgeny Suba
Yulia Malinovsky
Dec 13th, 2019
Nov 27th, 2019
Oct 31st, 2019
Oct 24th, 2019
Gesher is led by Orly Levy-Abekasis, who has been serving as an independent MK since splitting from Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu party in 2016.
Levy-Abekasis has tried to shun the left-right divide in Israeli politics, instead claiming she will focus on socio-economic affairs including pensions, health, housing, parenting and strengthening small businesses. Levy-Abekasis has also vowed to keep 50 per cent of her party open to female Knesset members (MKs).
Despite conducting talks with Benny Gantz’s Israel Resilience (Hosen L’Yisrael) party about a possible merger, Levy-Abekasis has decided to run alone on 9 April. It is unclear whether the party will win enough votes to meet the minimum 3.25 per cent vote threshold needed to gain a place in the Knesset.
Carmen Elmakayes
Dan Shachar
David (Dadi) Perlmutter
Gilad Samama
Haggai Lavie
Haggai Reznik
Liat Yakir
Michal Nagari Hirsch
Orly Levy-Abekasis Leader
Yifat Bitton
Mar 6th, 2019
The Kol Yisrael Achim Leshivion Hevrati or All Israel are Brothers for Social Equality party was founded in January to represent the interests of Israel’s Ethiopian-Jewish community, which numbers around 144,000 people.
The party lobbies for key issues impacting the community, such as the promotion of equal rights for new immigrants to Israel and an end to racism against Ethiopian Jews.
Alali Adamso Leader
Michael Corinaldi
Jan 25th, 2019
The Zehut party is headed by Moshe Feiglin and is seen as a libertarian, right-wing Zionist party that shares its root with incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.
Zehut has tried to appeal to young voters, who it believes are disengaged with politics and disenchanted with the old guard of Israeli politicians. As such, it stands for an amalgamation of policies, including the protection of free speech, the right to bear arms and the legalisation of cannabis.
On the question of Israel-Palestine, Zehut advocates for a one-state solution in which the whole of historic Palestine will be named Israel. Palestinians would be granted citizenship if they agree to live in and pledge their loyalty to such a state. Zehut also advocates for scrapping the Oslo Accords, using the money it claims Israel would save by doing so to incentivise Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) to emigrate.
Chaim Amsellem
Gilad Alper
Libby Molad
Moshe Feiglin Leader
Ronit Dror
Shai Malka