Official name

State of Israel

National legislature

Unicameral Knesset of 120 members directly elected by proportional representation for a four-year term. Universal direct suffrage over the age of 18

National elections

Parliamentary election: February 1oth 2009; next election scheduled for 2013

Head of state

President (largely a figurehead), elected by Knesset majority for a five-year term. Currently Shimon Peres, who was elected in July 2007

National government

Cabinet, responsible to the legislature; the prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, leads a coalition government comprising his party, Likud, together with Yisrael Beiteinu, Shas, United Torah Judaism, Atzmaut and HaBeyit HaYehudi

Main political parties

Kadima (a centrist party formed when the then prime minister, Ariel Sharon, left Likud to found a new party; it includes defectors from Likud and Labour); Likud (right-wing; leads the new government); Yisrael Beiteinu (YB; a right-wing immigrant party); Labour (left-wing); Shas (a religious party); HaBeyit HaYehudi (right-wing); United Torah Judaism (an ultra-Orthodox party that includes Agudat Israel and Degal Hatora); Meretz; United Arab List; Hadash (communist, predominantly Arab); Balad (Arab)

Prime minister, economic strategy minister, pensioner affairs minister & health minister: Binyamin Netanyahu (Likud)

Vice-prime minister (& regional development minister): Silvan Shalom (Likud)

Vice-prime minister (& strategic affairs minister): Moshe Ya'alon (Likud)

Key ministers

Agriculture & rural development: Orit Noked (Atzmaut)

Communications: Moshe Kahlon (Likud)

Culture & sport: Limor Livnat (Likud)

Defence (& deputy prime minister): Ehud Barak (Atzmaut)

Education: Gideon Sa'ar (Likud)

Environment: Gilad Erdan (Likud)

Finance: Yuval Steinitz (Likud)

Foreign affairs (& deputy prime minister): Avigdor Lieberman (YB)

Home front defence: Matan Vilnai

Housing & construction: Ariel Atias (Shas)

Immigrant absorption: Sofa Landver (YB)

Intelligence & atomic energy: Dan Meridor (Likud)

Interior: Eliyahu Yishai (Shas)

Internal security: Yitzhak Aharonovitch (YB)

Justice: Yaakov Neeman (not MP)

Minorities & trade, industry & labour: Shalom Simhon (Atzmaut)

National infrastructure: Uzi Landau (YB)

Religious affairs: Yakov Margi (Shas)

Science & technology: Daniel Hershkowitz (HaBeyit HaYehudi)

Strategic affairs: Moshe Ya'alon (Likud)

Tourism: Stas Misezhnikov (YB)

Transportation & road safety: Yisrael Katz (Likud)

Welfare & social services: Moshe Kahlon (Likud)

Speaker of the Knesset

Reuven Rivlin

Central bank governor

Stanley Fischer