Israel will go to polls today to elect a new parliament. Fourteen main parties are competing for 120 seats in the Knesset or parliament. Incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is running for his fifth term in office.

His main challenger is Benny Gantz, a former chief of staff for Israeli military who is a newcomer to politics.  Voters will cast their ballots for a party, not a candidate.

The more votes a party gets, the more seats it obtains in the Knesset as the government is based on a nationwide proportional representation system. Political parties must pass an electoral threshold of 3.25 percent to gain a Knesset seat.