Israel’s election: Five key things to know

Israelis will head to the polls on Tuesday for legislative elections.The vote, the first since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023 and the subsequent genocidal war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, is being called one of the most important in its history.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3US support for Israel continues three years into the genocide in Gazalist 2 of 3Israel’s deadline to close UK consulate in East Jerusalem nearslist 3 of 3Protesters in Colombia rally against ties with Israelend of listIt will determine the direction of Israel’s government as the country remains embroiled in multiple years-long conflicts, faces growing international criticism and grapples with deepening polarisation at home.Here are five things to know about the upcoming election:Which are the main parties and what do opinion polls suggest?Any party clearing an electoral threshold of 3.25 percent enters parliament, whose term lasts four years.There are two main blocs vying to lead the next government.The first is the pro-Netanyahu coalition, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and joined by several far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties. These includ...