Democracy

How to vote in Israel: A guide for the first-time voter ahead of the Knesset elections - explainer

From finding your polling station to choosing the right ballot slip, here's everything voters in Israel need to know ahead of the big day.

Ballot papers of various political parties are displayed at the Central Elections Committee warehouse in Shoham, ahead of Israel’s upcoming general elections, October 14, 2026
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett on October 13, 2026.

Naftali Bennett unveils B’Yachad party plan to cut bureaucracy, boost support for olim

 A man casts his vote in the Israeli general elections, at a polling station in Jerusalem, on November 1, 2022.

Israel, US elections demand accountability, not blind loyalty - opinion

Ayal Marek President ARZA Australia

The reality check we can no longer ignore: Why saving our democracy is up to all of us


When ‘democracy’ becomes a disguise - opinion

The hollowing-out of a word – and the agenda it now carries.

Democrats leader Yair Golan addresses reporters at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, June 22, 2026

Palestinian Authority prepares for first election in two decades, as Abbas preps final date

Sinijlawi described the vote as an opportunity for new political leadership to emerge “after years of political stagnation.” 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas leads the newly elected Fatah Central Committee meeting in Ramallah in the West Bank, June 3, 2026.

German intelligence flags rise in AfD's right-wing extremist potential

The AfD rejects the accusations that its views are extremist and has said the intelligence service's assessments are politically motivated.

 Maximilian Krah, Alternative for Germany (AfD) party member and member of the European Parliament of the Identity and Democracy (ID) group, speaks during the European election assembly 2023 of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Magdeburg, Germany, July 29, 2023.

Let voters have a say in who they vote in to Knesset - opinion

The adoption of a ‘semi-open ballot’ in Israel enjoys broad support across the political spectrum, both among civil society organizations and among the members of Knesset and their parties. 

Illustrative: A voting box in the an Israeli election in 2015.

Pro-Israel Democrat Cait Conley to take on vulnerable Republican Rep. Mike Lawler

Both candidates support the US-Israel alliance while opposing Netanyahu's policies, though Cait Conley is leading in the polls in the primarily Jewish congressional district.

Rep. Mike Lawler participates in the annual Israel Day Parade on 5th Avenue, May 31, 2026.

Newsrooms are not courtrooms: New Yorkers must reject media presumption of Israel's guilt - opinion

Genocide is a legal term, and whether a state committed it must be proved in court, not in the newsroom.

Democratic Congressional candidate Claire Valdez speaks during an election eve rally at Silo on June 22, 2026 in the East Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn.

The West cannot save Ethiopia by misunderstanding it - opinion

As someone who has carried the identity of being Ethiopian, Jewish, Israeli, and American, I have learned that nations are not strengthened by outsiders who define them only by their failures. 

ETHIOPIAN ISRAELIS gather in Jerusalem earlier this week, calling for immediate government action to expedite the aliyah of family members still stranded in Ethiopia.

High Court presses state over judicial selection overhaul, warns of political incentives

High Court hears petitions challenging the judicial selection overhaul, all 11 justices question whether the changes shift appointments toward political control and threaten judicial independence.

Supreme Court President Isaac Amit arrives for a hearing on a petition concerning the continuation of the criminal investigation into alleged leaks in the “Sde Teiman” affair at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, May 31, 2026.

Should Israel consider a new method for voting lawmakers into the Knesset? - opinion

In Israel, the voter has no influence on which individuals will serve in the Knesset; thus, the selection and ranking of candidates by the parties is decisive.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Defense Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attend a discussion at the plenum in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, July 23, 2025.

Zionism, like Americanism, is about articulating our own goals - opinion

Zionism and Americanism make Israel and America dynamic, catalytic countries, yearning, churning, and ever-trying to better their nations by fulfilling their founding ideals.

A man is seen holding an Israeli flag in the Old City of Jerusalem on Jerusalem Day.