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; led by the prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, who formed a coalition government that took office on March 31st 2009, led by his party, Likud, with Yisrael Beiteinu, Labour, Shas, United Torah Judaism 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: Shalom Simhon (Labour)

Communications: Moshe Kahlon (Likud)

Culture & sport: Limor Livnat (Likud)

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

Education: Gideon Sa'ar (Likud)

Environment: Gilad Erdan (Likud)

Finance: Yuval Steinitz (Likud)

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

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: Avishay Braverman (Labour)

National infrastructure: Uzi Landau (YB)

Religious affairs: Yakov Magri (Shas)

Science, technology: Daniel Hershkowitz (HaBeyit HaYehudi)

Strategic affairs: Moshe Ya'alon (Likud)

Tourism: Stas Misezhnikov (YB)

Trade, industry & labour (& deputy prime minister): Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labour)

Transportation & road safety: Yisrael Katz (Likud)

Welfare & social services: Isaac Herzog (Labour)

Speaker of the Knesset

Reuven Rivlin

Central bank governor

Stanley Fischer