How Do The Israeli Elections Work?

The Israeli system is quite a bit different from that of the United States.  While it is tempting to say that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is up for reelection, the reality is more complicated.  From Ynetnews:

Unlike the US, Israelis vote for parties but do not directly determine which politician will head the next government. Instead, voters cast a ballot for one party, and the faction with the most votes gets a chance to form the next ruling coalitions.

Essentially, the elections for the government are actually a vote for who will sit in the 20th Knesset – a 120-person body of MKs.

The Israeli system differs in one other central way – the entire country functions as a single district. Unlike the British parliament, on which Israel's founding fathers modeled the nascant[sic] state's legislature, all 120 seats in the Knesset are elected through a national process – much like a US senator must campaign across his state.

To learn how the Israelis choose their legislature, read the full story.