Editing Israeli system of government (section)

=== Knesset ===
[[File:Israel Ministry of Finance.jpg|thumb|Israeli Ministry of Finance, Jerusalem]]
The [[Knesset]]  is Israel's [[unicameral]] legislature and is seated in Jerusalem. Its 120 members are elected to 4-year terms through [[party-list proportional representation]] (''see'' [[#Electoral system|electoral system]], below), as mandated by the 1958 [https://www.knesset.gov.il/laws/special/eng/basic2_eng.htm Basic Law: The Knesset]. Knesset seats are allocated among parties using the [[D'Hondt method]] of [[party list proportional representation]]. Parties select candidates using a [[closed list]]. Thus, voters select the party of their choice, rather than any specific candidate. Israel requires a party to meet an [[election threshold]] of 3.25%<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-raises-electoral-threshold-1.5332503|title=Israel Raises Electoral Threshold to 3.25 Percent|author=Jonathan Lis|newspaper=Haaretz |date=Mar 12, 2014}}</ref> to be allocated a Knesset seat. All Israeli citizens 18 years of age and older may participate in legislative elections, which are conducted by [[secret ballot]].

As the [[legislative branch]] of the Israeli government, the Knesset has the power to enact and repeal all laws. It enjoys ''[[de jure]]'' [[parliamentary supremacy]], and can pass any law by a simple majority, even one that might arguably conflict with a [[Basic Laws of Israel|Basic Law]], unless it has specific conditions for its modification. The Knesset can adopt and amend Basic Laws acting through its capacity as a [[Constituent Assembly]]. The Knesset also supervises government activities through its committees, nominates the [[Prime Minister of Israel|Prime Minister]] and approves the [[Cabinet of Israel|cabinet]], and elects the [[President of Israel|President of the State]] and the [[Comptroller of Israel|State Comptroller]]. It also has the power to remove the President and State Comptroller from office, revoke the immunity of its members, and to dissolve itself and call new elections.

The [[2009 Israeli legislative election|February 2009 elections]] produced five prominent [[political parties]]; [[Kadima]], [[Likud]], [[Israel Beytenu]], [[Israeli Labor Party|Labor]] and [[Shas]], each with more than ten seats in the Knesset. Three of these parties were ruling parties in the past. However, only once has a single party held the 61 seats needed for a majority government (the [[Alignment (political party)|Alignment]] from 1968 until the [[1969 Israeli legislative election|1969 elections]]). Therefore, aside from that one exception, since 1948 Israeli governments have always comprised [[coalition government|coalitions]]. As of 2009, there are 12 political parties represented in the Knesset, spanning both the political and religious spectra.