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Basic Laws Jerusalem Law Law of Return President Moshe Katsav Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Ehud Olmert (acting) State Comptroller Knesset Speaker Members Elections: 2003, 2006 Parties Knesset Elections Law Judicial system Supreme Court Regional council Local council Foreign affairs UN Israeli-Palestinian conflict Arab-Israeli conflict International Law Arab League

The Basic Laws of Israel function as Israels uncodified constitution. The State of Israel has no formal constitution. ... The Jerusalem Law is a common name of Basic Law: Jerusalem, Capital of Israel passed by the Israeli Knesset on July 30, 1980 (17th Av, 5740). ... The Law of Return (חוק השבות) is Israeli legislation that allows Jews to settle in Israel and gain citizenship. ... President of the State of Israel (Hebrew: נשיא המדינה, Nasi Hamedina) is the head of state of Israel, but has a largely ceremonial, figurehead role with real power lying in the hands of the Prime Minister of Israel. ... Moshe Katsav (Courtesy: Israeli Knesset) Moshe Katsav (Hebrew מֹשֶׁה קַצָּב Mōšeh Qaṣṣāḇ), born December 5, 1945) is the current President of Israel (since 2000). ... The Prime Minister of Israel (Hebrew: ראש הממשלה, Rosh HaMemshala, lit. ... For more detail of Sharons recent illness, see Illnesses of Ariel Sharon. ... Ehud Olmert in São Paulo (2005) Ehud Olmert (Hebrew: אהוד אולמרט, pronounced OHL-mehrt; born September 30, 1945) is the acting Prime Minister of Israel. ... Israel The power of the Knesset to supervise and review government policies and operations is exercised mainly through the state controller, also known as the ombudsman or ombudswoman (Hebrew: מבקר המדינה Mevaker HaMedina. ... The modern Knesset building, Israels parliament, in Jerusalem Though similar-sounding, Beit Knesset (בית כנסת) literally means House of Assembly, and refers to a synagogue. ... List of Knesset speakers in the parliament of Israel: Joseph Shprinzak (Mapai) 1949-59 Nahum Nir (Ahdut Haavodah) 1959 Kadish Luz (Mapai, Alignment)1959-69 Reuven Barkat (Alignment) 1969-72 Yisrael Yeshayahu-Sharabi (Alignment) 1972-77 Yitzhak Shamir (Likud) 1977-80 Yitzhak Berman (Likud) 1980-81 Menachem... List of current (16th Assembly) Members of the Israeli Knesset // A Eli Aflalo (Kadima) Uri Yehuda Ariel (National Union) Colette Avital (Labour-Meimad-Am Ehad) Ruhama Avraham (Kadima) David Azoulay (Shas) B Ronnie Bar-On (Kadima) Mohammad Barakeh (Hadash) Binyamin (Fouad) Ben-Eliezer (Labour-Meimad-Am Ehad) Eli Ben-Menachem... Elections in Israel gives information on election and election results in Israel. ... Elections for the 16th Knesset were held in Israel on 28 January 2003. ... Political parties in Israel: Israels political system is based on proportional representation which allows for a multi-party system with numerous parties, in which a single party usually has no chance of gaining power by itself, forcing the parties to cooperate and form coalition governments. ... Knesset Elections Law is crucial legal document governing the process of elections in the Israeli federal parliament or the Knesset. ... Judicial branch is an independent branch of the government which includes secular and religious courts. ... Frontal view The Supreme Court (Hebrew: בית המשפט העליון, Beit Hamishpat Haelyon ) is at the head of the court system in the State of Israel. ... The Israeli Ministry of Interior recognizes three types of local government in Israel: cities, regional councils, and local councils. ... In Israel, a local council is a locality similar to a city in structure and way of life, that has not yet achieved a status of a city, which requires a minimum number of residents, among other things. ... Foreign relations of Israel deals with some of the following issues: In addition to seeking an end to hostilities with Arab forces, against which it has fought five wars since 1948, Israel has given high priority to gaining wide acceptance as a sovereign state with an important international role. ... Israel and the United Nations have had very mixed relations, since the states founding on May 14, 1948. ... Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip are at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ... Israel (in blue color) and the Arab League states (in green, Comoros is not shown). ... Arguments about the applicability of various elements of international law underlie the debate around the Arab-Israeli conflict. ... From the time it was established in March 1945, the Arab League took an active role in the Arab-Israeli conflict. ...

The Elections for the 17th Knesset were held in Israel on 28 March 2006, following an agreement between the Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, and the new Leader of the Israel Labour Party, Amir Peretz. Elections in Israel gives information on election and election results in Israel. ... The modern Knesset building, Israels parliament, in Jerusalem Though similar-sounding, Beit Knesset (בית כנסת) literally means House of Assembly, and refers to a synagogue. ... The modern Knesset building, Israels parliament, in Jerusalem Though similar-sounding, Beit Knesset (בית כנסת) literally means House of Assembly, and refers to a synagogue. ... March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (88th in Leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Prime Minister of Israel (Hebrew: ראש הממשלה, Rosh HaMemshala, lit. ... For more detail of Sharons recent illness, see Illnesses of Ariel Sharon. ... Labour (העבודה HaAvoda) is an Israeli political party. ... Amir Peretz (Hebrew: עמיר פרץ; Arabic: عمير بيريتس; born March 9, 1952) is an Israeli politician and the current leader of the Labour Party of Israel. ...

Background

The decision to hold early elections followed Peretz's election as Labour leader and his immediate decision to withdraw from the Coalition government, in which Labour under its outgoing Leader, Shimon Peres, kept Sharon in office. It also follows Sharon's split from Likud to found his new party, Kadima, which Peres subsequently joined. ▶ (help· info) (Hebrew שִׁמְעוֹן פֶּרֶס without Niqqud: שמעון פרס) (born Shimon Perske on August 16, 1923 in Poland, and immigrated with his family to Israel in 1934), is an Israeli politician, who was a member of the Labour Party until December 2005. ... Likud (Hebrew: ליכוד, literally means consolidation) is a right-wing political party in Israel. ... This article needs to be updated. ...

"I'm letting him [Sharon] choose a date in that period between the end of February and the end of March and whatever date he chooses is acceptable to me, the earlier the better," Peretz said.

Sharon said: "As soon as it became clear that the existing political framework was falling apart, I came to the conclusion that the best thing for the country is to hold new elections as soon as possible."

At the 2003 elections, Likud under Sharon's leadership had a convincing win by Israeli standards, winning 38 seats in the 120-member Knesset (parliament). Labour, led by Amram Mitzna, won only 19 seats. Elections for the 16th Knesset were held in Israel on 28 January 2003. ... The modern Knesset building, Israels parliament, in Jerusalem Though similar-sounding, Beit Knesset (בית כנסת) literally means House of Assembly, and refers to a synagogue. ... Amram Mitzna is an Israeli politician who served as the mayor of Haifa from 1993 to 2003. ...

Since that election Likud has suffered severe divisions over Sharon's decision to reverse his position on several campaign promises (Sharon stated then that “The fate of Netsarim [a Jewish town in Gaza] is the fate of Tel Aviv.”). Sharon began to embrace a position similar to his 2003 election rival Amram Mitzna to withdraw Israeli settlers and troops from the Gaza Strip. This caused tension within the Likud party and in January 2005 Peres led Labour into a Coalition with Sharon to allow the Gaza withdrawal to go ahead despite opposition from a majority of Likud members. Amram Mitzna is an Israeli politician who served as the mayor of Haifa from 1993 to 2003. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On 20 November Israeli media reported that Sharon would resign from Likud and form a new party, more politically centrist than Likud, to lead into the elections. Sharon would almost certainly have faced a leadership challenge from former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for the right to lead Likud. November 20 is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Benjamin Netanyahu (also Binyamin, and in Israel commonly Bibi) (Hebrew: בנימין נתניהו) (born October 21, 1949, Tel Aviv) was the 9th Prime Minister of Israel. ...

The election is now generally seen as a three-way contest for the Prime Ministership, between Kadima, Labour and Likud. This marks a sharp shift from Israel's recent tradition of elections dominated by two major parties. A two-party system is a type of party system where only two political parties have a realistic chance of winning an election. ...

On January 4, 2006, Sharon suffered a hemorrhagic stroke leaving him in a coma, and on 31 January 2006 the Kadima party list of candidates for the upcoming election did not include the incapacitated Prime Minister. Ehud Olmert, Acting Prime Minister and Acting Chairman of Sharon's Kadima party is now the party's candidate for Prime Minister. Polls conducted from January through March show Kadima led by Olmert still enjoying a commanding though somewhat reduced lead over both Labour and Likud. January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hemorrhagic stroke, or cerebral hemorrhage is a form of stroke that occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures. ... January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ehud Olmert in São Paulo (2005) Ehud Olmert (Hebrew: אהוד אולמרט, pronounced OHL-mehrt; born September 30, 1945) is the acting Prime Minister of Israel. ...

Former Labour party leader Shimon Peres, who joined Kadima citing Ariel Sharon's leadership skills, remained in the party and is second on the list of candidates. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is third on the Kadima list and would become Vice Premier if Kadima forms the next government. ▶ (help· info) (Hebrew שִׁמְעוֹן פֶּרֶס without Niqqud: שמעון פרס) (born Shimon Perske on August 16, 1923 in Poland, and immigrated with his family to Israel in 1934), is an Israeli politician, who was a member of the Labour Party until December 2005. ... Tzipi Livni, Israeli Minister of Justice Tzipora (Tzipi) Livni (Hebrew: ציפי לבני) (born July 5, 1958) is a senior Israeli politician. ...

In the Shinui primaries, Tel Aviv council member Ron Leventhal defeated Avraham Poraz for the number 2 spot. Poraz, a close ally of party leader Yosef Lapid, subsequently resigned from Shinui, as did most Shinui Knesset members, forming a breakaway party called Hetz (ha-Miflaga ha-Hilonit Tzionit or 'the Secular Zionist Party'). Lapid resigned as party leader on 25 January 2006, and Leventhal was subsequently elected the new party leader. Recent polls show neither Shinui nor Hetz will likely receive sufficient votes to win any seats in the 17th Knesset. Shinui won 15 seats in the 2003 election and was the third largest party in the 16th Knesset. Shinui (שינוי) (original full name: Tenua le-Shinui ve Yozma and then to Shinui-Mifleget ha-Merkaz) is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical, free market liberal party in Israel. ... Tel-Aviv was founded on empty dunes north of the existing city of Jaffa. ... Yosef (Tommy) Lapid (in Hebrew יוסף (טומי) לפיד, b. ... Hetz (Arrow) is an Israeli political party, founded by former Shinui member Avraham Poraz, after he lost the inner Shinui elections to Ron Levintal. ... January 25 is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On 30 January 2006 the right-wing National Union (Halchud HaLeumi), a coalition of three small parties (Moledet, Tekuma, Tzionut Datit Leumit Mitchadeshet), submitted a joint list with the National Religious Party (Mafdal). The merged list is headed by Binyamin Elon. The largely Russian immigrant Yisrael Beytenu (Israel, Our Home) party has separated from National Union and is running a separate list. Polls conducted in March suggest these two right-wing lists could grow from a combined 13 seats in the 16th Knesset to anywhere from 20 to 25 seats in the 17th Knesset, largely at the expense of Likud. January 31 goooz booz Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... It has been suggested that National Union Party be merged into this article or section. ... Moledet (Hebrew מולדת, literally homeland) is a small right-wing political party in Israel. ... Mafdal party logo The National Religious Party (Hebrew: Mafdal, מפדל) is an Israeli political party representing the religious Zionist movement. ... The grammar in this article needs to be checked. ... Binyamin Benny Elon (1954-) is a Member of the Knesset. ... Yisrael Beytenu (Hebrew: ישראל ביתנו, Israel Our Home) is a right-of-center political party in Israel with support from immigrants to Israel who came from the lands of the former Soviet Union. ...

Key issues

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip are at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ...

Fighting Palestinian militancy

During the Al-Aqsa Intifada, more than a thousand Israelis were killed in Palestinian militant attacks. Israel's security policy during that time was focused on arresting or killing members of the militant organizations, through frequent military excursions into the Palestinian territories and (somewhat controversially) targeted assassinations, and to curb the movement of suspected militants - especially would-be suicide bombers - through the use of checkpoints. This policy won the support of the Jewish mainstream, but elements in the Jewish left, as well as the vast majority of the Arab population, vehemently opposed what they saw as excessive response to the security threat. Some claimed that Israel's policy was in fact encouraging more violence from the Palestinian side. Despite the decrease in violence during 2005 and 2006, popular support for the security policy remained high among the Israeli public, which continued to fear suicide bombings and Qassam rocket attacks. Palestinian political violence refers to acts of violence committed for political reasons by Palestinian individuals or groups. ... The wreckage of a commuter bus in West Jerusalem after a suicide bombing on Tuesday, 18 June 2002. ... The West Bank The Gaza Strip The Palestinian territories are geographic areas in the Middle East captured by Israel in the Six-day War of 1967 whose status is pending the conclusion of negotiations between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. ... assassin, see Assassin (disambiguation) Jack Ruby assassinated Lee Harvey Oswald in a very public manner. ... Image:Qassam. ...

During the 2006 electoral campaign, the center and right parties are vowing to continue the relentless fight against the Palestinian militants. Even Labour, which was traditionally known for its dovish views, has put "combatting terrorism" at the top of its agenda on the Conflict. Opposition to the current security policy, especially the use of targeted assassinations and the existence of checkpoints on Palestinian soil, comes mainly from Jewish left parties such as Meretz and from the Arab parties. Labour or Labor, (Hebrew: העבודה, ha-`Avōdāh) is a political party in Israel. ... Meretz (מרצ, Hebrew: vitality, energy) was an Israeli political party, considered to be on the left and secular. ...

Solutions to the conflict

In the wake of the Disengagement Plan, the political field in Israel split into two roughly distinct groups: those who are in favor of withdrawing from most or all of the West Bank (unofficially nicknamed "Blues"), and those who wish for that area to remain under Israeli control (so-called "Orange"). In particular, Ariel Sharon and his faction left Likud to form Kadima because of their support of ending Israeli control over the West Bank. However, the two groups are also divided internally as to what practical steps need to be taken during the next few years. The Gaza Disengagement Plan describes the move to withdraw all Jewish Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip unilaterally as soon as possible, lead by Ariel Sharon. ... For more detail of Sharons recent illness, see Illnesses of Ariel Sharon. ... Likud (Hebrew: ליכוד, literally means consolidation) is a right-wing political party in Israel. ... This article needs to be updated. ...

• Meretz supports bilateral negotiations as the only path towards peace.
• Labour and Kadima both advocate further negotiations, but the supposed non-existence of a partner for peace on the Palestinian side (following Hamas victory in the 2006 Palestinian elections) brings them to strongly consider "shaping Israel's permanent borders" through a unilateral withdrawal from most of the West Bank, leaving in place the large settlement blocs and the Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem. These borders will be marked by the completed separation barrier.
• Yisrael Beytenu supports continued Israeli control of most settlements, but offers to cede some Israeli Arab cities and uninhabited territories to the Palestinian Authority in exchange.
• Likud advocates an expansion of the separation barrier to include more territory on the Israeli side, and continued Israeli control of the Jordan Valley, the whole of Jerusalem and the settlement blocs.
• National Union-National Religious Party vehemently opposes any more unilateral withdrawals, and supports the strengthening of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
• Herut and National Jewish Front, two fringe nationalist groups, support a massive population transfer of the Arabs under Israeli control - both Palestinians and Israeli citizens - to neighboring Arab countries as a solution to the conflict. While Herut supports "voluntary transfer" through the creation of a compensation mechanism, the Front does not rule out forced transfer.

Meretz (מרצ, Hebrew: vitality, energy) was an Israeli political party, considered to be on the left and secular. ... Labour or Labor, (Hebrew: העבודה, ha-`Avōdāh) is a political party in Israel. ... This article needs to be updated. ... The Hamas emblem shows the Dome of the Rock and other the Islamic symbols, Palestinian flags, and a map of the land they claim as Palestine (present-day Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip). ... Wikinews has news related to this article: Hamas wins Palestinian election On January 25, 2006, elections were held for the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), the legislature of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). ... Map of Israeli settlements, in navy blue, in the West Bank Israeli settlements are communities built for Israeli Jewish settlers in areas that it captured during the 1967 Six-Day War. ... East Jerusalem is that part of Jerusalem which was held by Jordan from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War until the Six-Day War in 1967. ... The barrier route as of May 2005. ... Yisrael Beytenu (Hebrew: ישראל ביתנו, Israel Our Home) is a right-of-center political party in Israel with support from immigrants to Israel who came from the lands of the former Soviet Union. ... Likud (Hebrew: ליכוד, literally means consolidation) is a right-wing political party in Israel. ... This article is about the Jordan River in western Asia. ... It has been suggested that National Union Party be merged into this article or section. ... Mafdal party logo The National Religious Party (Hebrew: Mafdal, מפדל) is an Israeli political party representing the religious Zionist movement. ... Herut (Hebrew: חרות Freedom) was the political party of the Revisionist Zionist movement in Israel. ... The Chayil Party is the Right Wing Israeli political party founded by Baruch Marzel. ... Population transfer is a term referring to a policy by which a state, or international authority, forces the movement of a large group of people out of a region, most frequently on the basis of their ethnicity or religion. ...

Economic and social issues

Peretz Labour campaign billboard in Tel Aviv, "Ki Higiyah Hazman" - Because The Time Has Come

Since Israel's establishment, the political scene has been dominated by security and peace issues. The major parties were mainly divided by the different approaches with regard to the Israeli-Arab and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts. Image File history File linksMetadata PeretzCampaign. ... Image File history File linksMetadata PeretzCampaign. ... Israel (in blue color) and the Arab League states (in green, Comoros is not shown). ... Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip are at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ...

The 2006 elections mark the first time a major party - the Israel Labour Party - has placed economic and social issues on top of its agenda. This is mainly attributed to Amir Peretz's surprise victory over Shimon Peres in the November 2005 ILP leadership election; Peretz had left the party a few years earlier to form the socialist Am Ehad, which had only recently merged into Labour. Labour (העבודה HaAvoda) is an Israeli political party. ... Amir Peretz (Hebrew: עמיר פרץ; Arabic: عمير بيريتس; born March 9, 1952) is an Israeli politician and the current leader of the Labour Party of Israel. ... â–¶ (help· info) (Hebrew שִׁמְעוֹן פֶּרֶס without Niqqud: שמעון פרס) (born Shimon Perske on August 16, 1923 in Poland, and immigrated with his family to Israel in 1934), is an Israeli politician, who was a member of the Labour Party until December 2005. ... Am Ehad (One Nation) is a political party in Israel. ...

Labour's social democratic approach, which includes promises to raise the minimum wage and allocate a pension for every worker, now stands in sharp contrast to the neo-liberal agenda promoted by Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu. Serving as Finance Minister from 2003 to 2005, Netanyahu led a policy that encouraged economic growth and lower taxes at the expense of Israel's long-running welfare mechanism. This has alienated him from many Likud supporters, which traditionally hail from the lower and middle classes. In the campaign, Netanyahu claimed (backed by several economics experts) to have done this to "save the Israeli economy from collapse." Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... The minimum wage is the minimum rate a worker can legally be paid (usually per hour) as opposed to wages that are determined by the forces of supply and demand in a free market. ... A pension is a steady income paid to a person (usually after retirement). ... The term neoliberalism is used to describe a political-economic philosophy that had major implications for government policies beginning in the 1970s – and increasingly prominent since 1980 – that de-emphasizes or rejects positive government intervention in the economy, focusing instead on achieving progress and even social justice by encouraging free... Likud (Hebrew: ליכוד, literally means consolidation) is a right-wing political party in Israel. ... Benjamin Netanyahu (also Binyamin, and in Israel commonly Bibi) (Hebrew: בנימין נתניהו) (born October 21, 1949, Tel Aviv) was the 9th Prime Minister of Israel. ... Accumulated GDP growth for various countries. ... Likud (Hebrew: ליכוד, literally means consolidation) is a right-wing political party in Israel. ... Israel has a diversified modern economy with substantial government ownership and a rapidly developing high-tech sector. ...

In addition to Labour, the orthodox religious Shas, which has always claimed to champion the poor in Israeli society, also attacked Netanyahu's policies during the campaign, as did a number of small (and often new) socialist parties. Shas may also refer to the Shisha Sedarim (six orders) of the Mishnah and Talmud. ...

Israel as a Jewish and democratic state

The term Jewish state is sometimes used to describe the State of Israel and refers to its status as a nation-state for the Jewish people. ... Democracy (from Greek δημοκρατία (demokratia), δημος (demos) the common people + κρατειν (kratein) to rule + the suffix ία (ia), literally the common people rule) is a form of government where the population of a society controls the government. ...

Relations between the Jewish religion and the state

From 1948 to 2003, religious parties played a part in every coalition formed in Israel. Zionist religious parties focused on maintaining the balance between observants and seculars in issues such as education, Kashrut, keeping the Sabbath and matrimonial law, while orthodox religious parties demanded funds for religious scholars and the continued exemption of their followers from military service (decided on by David Ben Gurion in 1951.) All of this alienated many seculars, who felt their personal freedoms were being infringed upon and that they were unfairly carrying most of the burden. This led to the rise of Shinui, which at the 2003 elections won 15 out of 120 seats and joined Ariel Sharon's coalition. Shinui failed in making significant changes to the status quo on religious issues, and quit the government in 2005 after Sharon decided to transfer funds to the orthodox United Torah Judaism party. An internal quarrel caused most Knesset members from Shinui to form a new party (Hetz); both parties are in the running for the 2006 elections. The Religious Zionist Movement, or Religious Zionism is an ideology combining Zionism and Judaism, which offers Zionism based on the principles of Jewish religion and heritage. ... It has been suggested that Kosher foods be merged into this article or section. ... This article concerns the Sabbath in Christianity. ... Orthodox Judaism is one of the three major branches of Judaism. ... ... Shinui (שינוי) (original full name: Tenua le-Shinui ve Yozma and then to Shinui-Mifleget ha-Merkaz) is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical, free market liberal party in Israel. ... Elections for the 16th Knesset were held in Israel on 28 January 2003. ... For more detail of Sharons recent illness, see Illnesses of Ariel Sharon. ... United Torah Judaism (In Hebrew: יהדות התורה which translates as Judaism [of the] Torah) (UTJ) is a small Haredi political party in the Israeli Knesset. ... Hetz (Arrow) is an Israeli political party, founded by former Shinui member Avraham Poraz, after he lost the inner Shinui elections to Ron Levintal. ...

Shinui, Hetz, Meretz, and Ale Yarok wish to promote what they see as key secular and democratic principles: Shinui (שינוי) (original full name: Tenua le-Shinui ve Yozma and then to Shinui-Mifleget ha-Merkaz) is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical, free market liberal party in Israel. ... Meretz (מרצ, Hebrew: vitality, energy) was an Israeli political party, considered to be on the left and secular. ... Ale Yarok (Green Leaf) is a political party in Israel. ...

• Allowing businesses to remain open and public transportation to operate during the Sabbath;
• Abolishing the orthodox monopoly on conducting marriage and divorce between Jewish couples (which in fact prevents many couples from getting married in Israel) by instituting civil marriage, including for homosexuals;
• Allowing the public sale of pork (forbidden under Kashrut laws);
• Committing orthodox religious scholars to military service.

The various religious parties, both Zionist (Mafdal) and orthodox (Shas, United Torah Judaism) strictly oppose these changes. They wish to see Israel's Jewish character strengthened through further enforcement of the Sabbath and changes in the educational system. This article concerns the Sabbath in Christianity. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... Marriage is a relationship that plays a key role in the definition of many people who (usually) are in a sexual relationship. ... Two halves of a pig being delivered Pork is the meat taken from pigs. ... It has been suggested that Kosher foods be merged into this article or section. ... The grammar in this article needs to be checked. ... Shas may also refer to the Shisha Sedarim (six orders) of the Mishnah and Talmud. ... United Torah Judaism (In Hebrew: יהדות התורה which translates as Judaism [of the] Torah) (UTJ) is a small Haredi political party in the Israeli Knesset. ... This article concerns the Sabbath in Christianity. ...

Relations between Jews and Arabs

Israeli Arabs constitute roughly 20% of the population in Israel. They enjoy more freedom and better quality of life than most of their brethren living in Arab countries, although there is continued institutional and social discrimination, and their identity as ethnic Palestinians often clash with their Israeli citizenship. There are large disparities in general living standard and education between Israeli Arabs and the non-Arab Israeli population; they also have a lower participation rate in the workforce. Discrimination and a lower proportion of females in the workforce are often cited as reasons for this. See Israeli-Arab. The Israeli Arabs, or 1948 Palestinians, are those Arabs who remained inside the borders of what would become Israel after 1948, when most Arabs fled the country in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War (see also Nakba). They make up roughly 20% of Israels population. ... The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ...

The Arab parties, the largest of which are Raam, Balad and Hadash (a Jewish-Arab communist party, with mostly Arab composition and electorate), advocate abolition of all forms of ethnic inequality, and the establishment of a democratic bi-national state. RAAM may mean: United Arab List, Hebrew. ... Balad is a city 50 miles north of Baghdad in Israel, currently led by Azmi Bishara and Ahmad Tibi. ... Hadash (חדש) is a left wing, largely Arab, anti-Zionist popular front group in Israel made up of the Communist Party of Israel and other left-leaning political groups. ...

Most Jews in Israel see the clear inequality that exists as a natural result of Israel being a Jewish state. They lament that the Arabs, who demand equal rights, do not take on equal obligations (especially military service), and that some of them are disloyal and show solidarity and offer aid to the Arab terrorists which fight Israel - one Arab member of the Knesset publicly called for Israel's destruction, and other Israeli-Arabs have been convicted in court of collusion with terrorists. Herut and National Jewish Front, two extreme right-wing parties, support transferring the Israeli Arabs to Jordan and other Arab countries. Avigdor Lieberman and his Yisrael Beytenu party advocate an exchange of territory which would place most Arab settlements currently in Israel in a future Palestinian state, in exchange for Jewish settlements in the West Bank which would become an integral part of Israel. The term Jewish state is sometimes used to describe the State of Israel and refers to its status as a nation-state for the Jewish people. ... Herut (Hebrew: חרות Freedom) was the political party of the Revisionist Zionist movement in Israel. ... The Chayil Party is the Right Wing Israeli political party founded by Baruch Marzel. ... Population transfer is a term referring to a policy by which a state, or international authority, forces the movement of a large group of people out of a region, most frequently on the basis of their ethnicity or religion. ... Avigdor Liberman was born in 1958 in Moldova, and emigrated to Israel in 1978. ... Yisrael Beytenu (Hebrew: ישראל ביתנו, Israel Our Home) is a right-of-center political party in Israel with support from immigrants to Israel who came from the lands of the former Soviet Union. ...

Procedures

See also: Elections in Israel Elections in Israel gives information on election and election results in Israel. ...

The elections will allocate the 120 seats in the Knesset by party-list proportional representation, using the d'Hondt method. The election threshold is set at 2% (up from 1.5% in previous elections), which is a little over two seats. Party-list proportional representation systems are a family of voting systems used in multiple-winner elections (e. ... Real life example of DHondt method; vote and seat distribution in Finnish parliamentary election, 2003. ... In party-list proportional representation systems, an election threshold is a clause that stipulates that a party must receive a minimum percentage of votes, either nationally or within a particular district, to get any seats in the parliament. ...

Once the official results are published, the President of Israel will delegate the task of forming a government to the Member of Knesset with the most chances of doing so (usually the leader of the largest party.) He will have up to 42 days to negotiate with the different parties, and then present his government to the Knesset for a vote of confidence. Once the government is approved (by a vote of at least 61 members), he will become Prime Minister. President of the State of Israel (Hebrew: נשיא המדינה, Nasi Hamedina) is the head of state of Israel, but has a largely ceremonial, figurehead role with real power lying in the hands of the Prime Minister of Israel. ... A Motion of Confidence is a motion of support proposed by a government in a parliament to give members of parliament a chance to register their confidence for a government by means of a parliamentary vote. ... The Prime Minister of Israel (Hebrew: ראש הממשלה, Rosh HaMemshala, lit. ...

Official list of participating parties

Note: traditional left-right divisions in Israel are different than in most countries, being mostly based on the different positions with regard to security and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. For example, the left-wing Meretz-Yachad mainly advocates negotiations with the Palestinians along the lines of the Geneva Initiative, while the right-wing National Union is opposed to any territorial concessions. This article needs to be updated. ... Ehud Olmert in São Paulo (2005) Ehud Olmert (Hebrew: אהוד אולמרט, pronounced OHL-mehrt; born September 30, 1945) is the acting Prime Minister of Israel. ... Likud (Hebrew: ליכוד, literally means consolidation) is a right-wing political party in Israel. ... Labour or Labor, (Hebrew: העבודה, ha-`Avōdāh) is a political party in Israel. ... Amir Peretz (Hebrew: עמיר פרץ; Arabic: عمير بيريتس; born March 9, 1952) is an Israeli politician and the current leader of the Labour Party of Israel. ... Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... Likud (Hebrew: ליכוד, literally means consolidation) is a right-wing political party in Israel. ... Benjamin Netanyahu (also Binyamin, and in Israel commonly Bibi) (Hebrew: בנימין נתניהו) (born October 21, 1949, Tel Aviv) was the 9th Prime Minister of Israel. ... Hetz (Arrow) is an Israeli political party, founded by former Shinui member Avraham Poraz, after he lost the inner Shinui elections to Ron Levintal. ... Shinui (שינוי) (original full name: Tenua le-Shinui ve Yozma and then to Shinui-Mifleget ha-Merkaz) is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical, free market liberal party in Israel. ... Anti-clericalism is a movement that opposes religious interference into public and political life and more generally the encroachment of religion in the citizens lives. ... Shinui (שינוי) (original full name: Tenua le-Shinui ve Yozma and then to Shinui-Mifleget ha-Merkaz) is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical, free market liberal party in Israel. ... In politics, centrism usually refers to the political ideal of promoting moderate policies which land in the middle ground between different political extremes. ... Shas may also refer to the Shisha Sedarim (six orders) of the Mishnah and Talmud. ... Sephardim (ספרדי, Standard Hebrew SÉ™fardi, Tiberian Hebrew ardî; plural Sephardim: ספרדים, Standard Hebrew Sfaradim, Tiberian Hebrew ) are a subgroup of Jews, generally defined in contrast to Ashkenazim and/or . ... Torah () is a Hebrew word meaning teaching, instruction, or law. ... Eliyahu (Eli) Yishai (in Hebrew אליהו (אלי) ישי) (born December 26, 1962) is the leader of the Haredi Sephardi Shas party in Israel. ... Sephardim (ספרדי, Standard Hebrew SÉ™fardi, Tiberian Hebrew ardî; plural Sephardim: ספרדים, Standard Hebrew Sfaradim, Tiberian Hebrew ) are a subgroup of Jews, generally defined in contrast to Ashkenazim and/or . ... United Torah Judaism (In Hebrew: יהדות התורה which translates as Judaism [of the] Torah) (UTJ) is a small Haredi political party in the Israeli Knesset. ... Torah () is a Hebrew word meaning teaching, instruction, or law. ... Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim (אַשְׁכֲּנָזִי אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים Standard Hebrew, AÅ¡kanazi,AÅ¡kanazim, Tiberian Hebrew, ʾAÅ¡kănāzî, ʾAÅ¡kănāzîm, pronounced sing. ... It has been suggested that National Union Party be merged into this article or section. ... Mafdal party logo The National Religious Party (Hebrew: Mafdal, מפדל) is an Israeli political party representing the religious Zionist movement. ... Binyamin Benny Elon (1954-) is a Member of the Knesset. ... The Religious Zionist Movement, or Religious Zionism is an ideology combining Zionism and Judaism, which offers Zionism based on the principles of Jewish religion and heritage. ... It has been suggested that National Union Party be merged into this article or section. ... The grammar in this article needs to be checked. ... Yisrael Beytenu (Hebrew: ישראל ביתנו, Israel Our Home) is a right-of-center political party in Israel with support from immigrants to Israel who came from the lands of the former Soviet Union. ... Avigdor Liberman (b. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Meretz. ... Dr. Yossef (Yossi) Beilin (born June 12, 1948) is a dovish Israeli politician, a former Knesset member, deputy foreign minister and justice minister within the Israeli Labour Party. ... Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... The United Arab List (RAAM, Hebrew. ... Taal, or the Arab Movement for Renewal, is a single-member Israeli parliamentary group that was founded by MK Ahmad Tibi after he left Balad during the 14th Knesset. ... The United Arab List (RAAM, Hebrew. ... Taal, or the Arab Movement for Renewal, is a single-member Israeli parliamentary group that was founded by MK Ahmad Tibi after he left Balad during the 14th Knesset. ... Balad is a city 50 miles north of Baghdad in Israel, currently led by Azmi Bishara and Ahmad Tibi. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Hadash (חדש) is a left wing, largely Arab, anti-Zionist popular front group in Israel made up of the Communist Party of Israel and other left-leaning political groups. ... Mohammad Barakeh, Israeli Arab politician. ... The Communist Party of Israel (known as Maki, an acronym for Miflaga Komunistit Yisraelit) was formed in 1948 by the remnant of the Communist Party of Palestine within the borders of the new state of Israel. ... Tafnit (Hebrew: תפנית Turnaround) is a political party and a social movement which was established by the Aluf in reserve Uzi Dayan. ... Ale Yarok (Green Leaf) is a political party in Israel. ... Species Cannabis indica Cannabis ruderalis Cannabis sativa Cannabis is a genus of flowering plant that includes one or more species. ... Brit Olam (Hebrew: ברית עולם) is a list that run in the 2006 Elections for the 17th Knesset. ... Ofer Lifshits (born in the kibbutz Mesada) is the chairman of Brit Olam party. ... Gil - Gimlaey Yisrael LaKneset (Hebrew: גיל - גימלאי ישראל לכנסת Gil - the pensioners of Israel to the Knesset) is a Israeli pensioners party that run in the 2006 Elections for the 17th Knesset. ... Da`aM - Mifleget Po`alim (Hebrew: דעם – מפלגת פועלים Daam – Workers Party) is a leftist Israeli party that run in the 2006 Elections for the 17th Knesset. ... Ha-Yerukim (הירוקים; literally The Greens) is the green party of Israel. ... The party for the war against banks (Hebrew: המפלגה למלחמה בבנקים) or HaLev (Hebrew: הלב) is a political party that her goal is to reduce damages that the banks causing to the public by legislation. ... Selection at the Auschwitz ramp in 1944, where the Nazis chose whom to kill immediately and whom to use as slave labor or for medical experimentation, such as those of the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele. ... The Chayil Party is the Right Wing Israeli political party founded by Baruch Marzel. ... Baruch Marzel is an American born right-wing Israeli settler from Hebron. ... Speaking:US-born Rabbi Meir Kahane, leader of the Kach party in the Israeli Knesset. ... Lev party (Hebrew: מפלגת לב) or Lev LaOlim - heart to the Olim (Hebrew: לב לעולים) is an Israeli political party targeted to Olim from central Asia and other ethnic minority groups. ... Herut (Hebrew: חרות Freedom) was the political party of the Revisionist Zionist movement in Israel. ... The Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (Либерально-Демократическая Партия России, Liberalno-Demokratičeskaja Partija Rossii) is a political party in Russia. ... Oz LaAniyim (Hebrew: עוז לעניים strength to the poor) is a Israeli social political party that was established in 1999. ... Tzomet or Tsomet (Hebrew: צומת, meaning crossroads) is a secular, right-wing Israeli political party. ... The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view. ... In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply The Right, are terms that refer to the segment of the political spectrum often associated with any of several strains of conservatism, the religious right, and areas of classical liberalism, or simply the opposite of left-wing politics. ... Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip are at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Meretz. ... This article is about the proposal for peace between Israel and Palestine. ... It has been suggested that National Union Party be merged into this article or section. ...

Most recent opinion polling

Numbers in the table below are expected seats in the Knesset, out of a total of 120.

As the electoral threshold stands at 2%, it is impossible for a party to receive only one seat in the Knesset. In party-list proportional representation systems, an election threshold is a clause that stipulates that a party must receive a minimum percentage of votes, either nationally or within a particular district, to get any seats in the parliament. ...

Note: Most Israeli pollsters lump the "Arab" parties together, so that the listed number is the total number of seats that the three main Arab lists (Raam, Balad, Hadash) are expected to obtain. In the event that one or more of the three lists does not pass the 2% threshold, the representation of these parties will be one to three fewer seats than listed by the polls.

¹ National Union and Yisrael Beytenu together have 7 seats. 22 March is the 81st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (82nd in Leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (83rd in Leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (86th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 27 is the 86th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (87th in Leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article needs to be updated. ... Likud (Hebrew: ליכוד, literally means consolidation) is a right-wing political party in Israel. ... Labour (העבודה HaAvoda) is an Israeli political party. ... Shinui (שינוי) (original full name: Tenua le-Shinui ve Yozma and then to Shinui-Mifleget ha-Merkaz) is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical, free market liberal party in Israel. ... Shas may also refer to the Shisha Sedarim (six orders) of the Mishnah and Talmud. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Meretz. ... It has been suggested that National Union Party be merged into this article or section. ... Mafdal party logo The National Religious Party (Hebrew: Mafdal, מפדל) is an Israeli political party representing the religious Zionist movement. ... Yisrael Beytenu (Hebrew: ישראל ביתנו, Israel Our Home) is a right-of-center political party in Israel with support from immigrants to Israel who came from the lands of the former Soviet Union. ... United Torah Judaism (In Hebrew: יהדות התורה which translates as Judaism [of the] Torah) (UTJ) is a small Haredi political party in the Israeli Knesset. ... Ale Yarok (Green Leaf) is a political party in Israel. ... Gil - Gimlaey Yisrael LaKneset (Hebrew: גיל - גימלאי ישראל לכנסת Gil - the pensioners of Israel to the Knesset) is a Israeli pensioners party that run in the 2006 Elections for the 17th Knesset. ... Tafnit (Hebrew: תפנית Turnaround) is a political party and a social movement which was established by the Aluf in reserve Uzi Dayan. ... Ha-Yerukim (הירוקים; literally The Greens) is the green party of Israel. ...

² Dahaf - published in Yediot Aharonot (and/or its affiliate site Ynet) with the remark "The votes of the undecided were assigned to parties on the basis of additional questions." Yedioth Ahronoth (Hebrew: ידיעות אחרונות, meaning latest news) is a major daily Israeli newspaper, written in Hebrew. ...

Results

Note: these are preliminary results and do not include absentee (i.e. "dual envelope") ballots to be counted later in the week.[1]

The process of counting absentee ballots (those cast outside the regular polling stations) normally takes a further 2 days, and final results should be available by the end of the week. The newly-elected Knesset will convene for its opening session on Monday April 10.

Ale Yarok, Greens, Hetz, Shinui, Tafnit, Khazit Yehudit Le'umit, Brit Olam, HaLev, Lev, Herut, Oz LaAniyim, Tzomet and Da`aM did not pass the two percent (about 60,000 votes) threshold. The modern Knesset building, Israels parliament, in Jerusalem Though similar-sounding, Beit Knesset (בית כנסת) literally means House of Assembly, and refers to a synagogue. ... This article needs to be updated. ... Labour or Labor, (Hebrew: העבודה, ha-`Avōdāh) is a political party in Israel. ... Shas may also refer to the Shisha Sedarim (six orders) of the Mishnah and Talmud. ... Yisrael Beytenu (Hebrew: ישראל ביתנו, Israel Our Home) is a right-of-center political party in Israel with support from immigrants to Israel who came from the lands of the former Soviet Union. ... Likud (Hebrew: ליכוד, literally means consolidation) is a right-wing political party in Israel. ... It has been suggested that National Union Party be merged into this article or section. ... Mafdal party logo The National Religious Party (Hebrew: Mafdal, מפדל) is an Israeli political party representing the religious Zionist movement. ... It has been suggested that National Union Party be merged into this article or section. ... Moledet (Hebrew מולדת, literally homeland) is a small right-wing political party in Israel. ... Tkuma was a temporary Israeli right wing party during 1998. ... Mafdal party logo The National Religious Party (Hebrew: Mafdal, מפדל) is an Israeli political party representing the religious Zionist movement. ... Gil - Gimlaey Yisrael LaKneset (Hebrew: גיל - גימלאי ישראל לכנסת Gil - the pensioners of Israel to the Knesset) is a Israeli pensioners party that run in the 2006 Elections for the 17th Knesset. ... United Torah Judaism (In Hebrew: יהדות התורה which translates as Judaism [of the] Torah) (UTJ) is a small Haredi political party in the Israeli Knesset. ... Categories: Organization stubs | Israel-related stubs | Israeli political parties | Orthodox Judaism ... This article needs cleanup. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Meretz. ... The United Arab List (RAAM, Hebrew. ... Hadash (חדש) is a left wing, largely Arab, anti-Zionist popular front group in Israel made up of the Communist Party of Israel and other left-leaning political groups. ... Balad (Hebrew acronym for Brit Leumit Demokrati (National Democratic Assembly), (in Arabic Al-Tajamu Al-Watani Al-DÄ«mÅ«qrati; balad (بلد) is also Arabic for country) is a political party in Israel representing the Israeli Arab minority. ... Ale Yarok (Green Leaf) is a political party in Israel. ... Ha-Yerukim (הירוקים; literally The Greens) is the green party of Israel. ... Hetz (Arrow) is an Israeli political party, founded by former Shinui member Avraham Poraz, after he lost the inner Shinui elections to Ron Levintal. ... Shinui (שינוי) (original full name: Tenua le-Shinui ve Yozma and then to Shinui-Mifleget ha-Merkaz) is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical, free market liberal party in Israel. ... Tafnit (Hebrew: תפנית Turnaround) is a political party and a social movement which was established by the Aluf in reserve Uzi Dayan. ... The Chayil Party is the Right Wing Israeli political party founded by Baruch Marzel. ... Brit Olam (Hebrew: ברית עולם) is a list that run in the 2006 Elections for the 17th Knesset. ... The party for the war against banks (Hebrew: המפלגה למלחמה בבנקים) or HaLev (Hebrew: הלב) is a political party that her goal is to reduce damages that the banks causing to the public by legislation. ... Lev party (Hebrew: מפלגת לב) or Lev LaOlim - heart to the Olim (Hebrew: לב לעולים) is an Israeli political party targeted to Olim from central Asia and other ethnic minority groups. ... Herut (Hebrew: חרות Freedom) was the political party of the Revisionist Zionist movement in Israel. ... Oz LaAniyim (Hebrew: עוז לעניים strength to the poor) is a Israeli social political party that was established in 1999. ... Tzomet or Tsomet (Hebrew: צומת, meaning crossroads) is a secular, right-wing Israeli political party. ... Da`aM - Mifleget Po`alim (Hebrew: דעם – מפלגת פועלים Daam – Workers Party) is a leftist Israeli party that run in the 2006 Elections for the 17th Knesset. ...

The official turnout announced is the lowest in Israeli legislative election history, 63.2%, compared to 68.9% in 2003 and 78.7% in 1999 of eligible voters. ^[1] Voters lining up outside a Baghdad polling station during the 2005 Iraqi election. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

The current results show a centre-left block of 62 seats with its right counterpart's at 51 seats. Without the Arab parties, Kadima, Labour, Meretz and Gimlaim, have a total of 59 seats. Right-national parties have 32 seats. Religious parties have 19 seats, while Arab parties secured 10 seats.

The most likely coalition appears to be a centre-left combination dominated by Kadima and Labour. The coalition may also include religious parties, and the inclusion of one or more right-national parties also remains a possibility.

Notes

1. ↑ The official turnout is based on the number of eligible voters, however, that number is somewhat misleading since the count of eligible voters includes a significant number of Israeli citizens who in fact cannot vote. This consists mainly of a large number of citizens residing or travelling abroad on the day of the election (and are thus prohibited from voting outside Israel, unless they are members of the diplomatic corps) and some deceased voters who have yet to be removed from the voter registration rolls (all Israeli citizens are automatically registered to vote, thus in Israel there is no distinction between registered voters and eligible voters as in the U.S. for example, also the rules defining who is allowed to vote by absentee ballot are much more restrictive than those in the U.S. for example). When these factors are taken into account the actual voter turnout is about 5% higher than the figure cited above.

External links

• All the parties running for the 17th Knesset
• Elections for the 17th Knesset
• Opinion polls