Israel's politics are complicated, to say the least. They're also absolutely fascinating. Luckily for those of us who love to discuss elections, one is coming up quite soon, on March 17 to be exact. In this diary, I will discuss the major (and minor!) parties who will make up Israel's next Knesset (Parliament), as well as explore the geographic and cultural divisions within the parties' voting bases.
I have two things to note here before I continue.
1. This diary is not a place to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Many people have strong views on the subject on both sides. That's perfectly acceptable. However, argue about it somewhere else. No derails here. On the other hand, if you are discussing the conflict only as it impacts Israel's elections, that's fine.
2. The Israeli political system is nearly always in flux; parties align and dealign with one another frequently, and they also are created and die every election. While most things appear set for the next election, there will likely be substantial change.