Israelis head to the polls tomorrow for a general election in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fighting for his political survival. About 5.88 million eligible voters are set to vote to elect a party that will lead the next Israeli government.

This is the closest fought election Israel has seen for years Benjamin Netanyahu is running for his fifth term in office. However, Mr Netanyahu is facing both serious corruption charges, pending a final hearing with the attorney general, and his toughest competitor in years – Benny Gantz. Mr Gantz, a former chief of staff for the Israeli military who is a newcomer to politics, can rival Mr Netanyahu on security – one of the election’s key issues – and promises cleaner politics.

Fourteen main parties are competing for 120 seats in the 21st Knesset or parliament. 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 per cent to gain a Knesset seat.