| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Knesset / Parliament |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| LEGAL FRAMEWORK |
| Electoral Law |
14 July 1969
Last amendments on 11 March 2014 (Governance Law) |
| Mode of designation |
directly elected 120 |
| Constituencies |
1 multi-member constituency for 120 seats |
| Voting system |
Proportional:
Direct election based on closed party lists of candidates, with proportional distribution of seats according to the simple quotient and highest average system (d'Hondt method) among all lists having obtained at least 3.25 per cent of the valid votes cast. Within each list, seats won are allotted to candidates according to their order of appearance on the list.
There are no reserved seats or quotas for women, ethnic minorities or other categories.
Vacancies arising between general elections are filled by the "next-in-line" candidate of the party list concerned.
Voting is not compulsory. |
| Voter requirements |
- age: 18 years
- Israeli citizenship (including naturalized citizens)
- registered residence in the country
Disqualifications: anyone denied the right to vote by court application of the law; citizens overseas (except for all State employees and employees of Jewish institutions recognized by the State, their spouses and their children aged 18 to 20 years, and ships' crew members and passengers under certain conditions) |
| CANDIDATES |
| Eligibility |
- qualified voters
- age: 21
- Israeli citizenship (including naturalized citizens); candidates with dual citizenship can only stand if they are unable to give up the other citizenship
- ineligibilities: if a court of law has denied the candidate the right to be elected by law, or if he/she has been sentenced to imprisonment for at least five years for violating national security and five years have not elapsed since the prison term was served |
| Incompatibilities |
- President of the State
- Chief Rabbis
- judges of civil and religious courts
- State Comptroller
- Paid religious officials
- All officers in the professional army
- Senior civil servants
- Senior officers in the police and prisons service
- Senior employees of associations established by law
The incompatibilities above apply unless the candidates have ceased to serve in these positions before the lists of candidates are submitted or on the dates stipulated by law. |
| Candidacy requirements |
- Candidates must be on a list to run for election. A list may be registered by a party or a group of parties. Lists that explicitly or implicitly reject the Jewish and/or democratic nature of the State, incite to racism, or support the armed struggle of an enemy State or a terrorist organization acting against the State of Israel cannot run in elections. |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Electoral system module
