What every Israeli party stands for

Otzma Yehudit: Itamar Ben Gvir

We'll start on the right side of the political map, with Itamar Ben Gvir and Otzma Yehudit. Ben Gvir doesn't believe in going easy on terrorists, and in recent years he's made the fight against terror and the restoration of governance a central part of his agenda.

He's worked to toughen conditions for security prisoners, is pushing for the death penalty for terrorists, and wants as many citizens as possible who meet the criteria to be able to carry firearms. When it comes to Judea and Samaria, his position is clear: expand Jewish settlement and oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Religious Zionism and Zehut: Bezalel Smotrich and Moshe Feiglin

Moving on to Bezalel Smotrich and Moshe Feiglin, who come with a strong emphasis on settlement, Jewish identity and free-market economics.

Both want to expand Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria, strengthen the Jewish character of the state, and oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state. But for them, it doesn't all begin and end with security and settlement.

On the economy, too, they want the state to interfere less in citizens' lives. Less regulation, fewer barriers for businesses, more economic freedom. Feiglin is especially identified with this approach, while Smotrich also emphasises settlement and religious identity issues.

Noam: Avi Maoz

Next up is Avi Maoz and the Noam party, which focuses mainly on the Jewish identity of the state and what children learn in schools.

Maoz wants to strengthen Jewish studies and traditional family values in the education system, and opposes advancing LGBT rights and content dealing with sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.

He also supports strengthening the Jewish presence on the Temple Mount. For him, one of the central battles is over the values and identity of the state, not just the question of who will sit in the next government.

Likud: Benjamin Netanyahu

On to Bibi and Likud. After so many years in power, Netanyahu has already faced wars, crises and pressure from all over the world and his wife, and that experience is one of his strongest cards.

Likud is identified with the political and security right, and Netanyahu places special emphasis on the Iranian threat, on maintaining security, and on opposing political moves that he claims could endanger Israel.

Economically, too, Likud is traditionally identified with support for the free market and encouraging business, though in practice the economic policy of Netanyahu governments has also included significant government intervention.

But above all, Netanyahu builds on his political and security experience, and is convinced that no one knows how to deal with Israel's challenges better than he does.

Amcha Yisrael: Ofer Winter and Yoseph Haddad

Moving on to Amcha Yisrael, with two people who come from completely different backgrounds. On one side is Ofer Winter, a reserve brigadier general and former commander of the Givati Brigade, and on the other is Yoseph Haddad, an Israeli Arab known for his advocacy work on behalf of Israel.

The two present a firm security line, with emphasis on fighting terror, strengthening deterrence and Zionist identity.

But security isn't all that concerns them. On the issue of chareidi enlistment, too, they demand change, and emphasise the need for more citizens to take part in service and the security burden.

The Reservists and The Economic: Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zelekha

Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zelekha decided to connect two issues that concern almost every household in Israel: military service and the money left at the end of the month.

Hendel, former communications minister and a reserve officer, emphasises strengthening the status of those who serve and broader enlistment to the IDF. Zelekha, who previously served as accountant general at the Finance Ministry, comes with economic plans aimed at lowering prices, increasing competition and fighting the cost of living.

In other words, Hendel wants to look after those who carry the stretcher, and Zelekha wants to look after those who struggle to pay for groceries at the supermarket.

Yisrael Beiteinu: Avigdor Liberman

Next up is Avigdor Liberman and Yisrael Beiteinu. Liberman is identified with right-wing and tough positions on security issues, but in recent years one of his main political rivals has actually been the chareidi parties.

Liberman wants everyone to enlist in the army, supports civil marriage and reducing the involvement of the religious establishment in citizens' lives. He also supports the option to operate public transport on Shabbos according to local needs and decisions.

For him, the chareidi parties should have much less power in decisions affecting religion and state. This is how he tries to combine right-wing security positions with a more secular approach on civil issues.

Together: Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid

Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid already know each other's work well. The two headed the change government, and now they're back working together under the "Together" list.

Bennett comes from the security and economic right, while Lapid is identified with the centre and a more liberal approach on religion and state issues.

The two talk about strengthening security, broader enlistment to the IDF, improving the education system and lowering the cost of living. But let's be honest, beyond all the promises, one of their biggest goals is to replace Netanyahu and form a different government.

Yashar!: Gadi Eisenkot

Moving on to Gadi Eisenkot and the Yashar! party. The former IDF chief of staff is trying to bring his security experience into politics, and appeal to voters looking for an alternative to Netanyahu without going too far left.

Eisenkot emphasises the need to strengthen the IDF and maintain the state's security, alongside advancing broader and more equal enlistment. He also deals with the cost of living, education and reducing gaps in Israeli society.

The party is trying to position itself in the centre of the political map, and attract voters who hold right-wing positions on security issues but want different leadership.

The Democrats: Yair Golan

Moving left to Yair Golan and the Democrats, which was born from a merger of the Labor party and Meretz.

Golan is one of the sharpest voices against Netanyahu and the government, and frequently attacks its policies, especially regarding the justice system and the democratic character of the state.

The party supports advancing a political settlement with the Palestinians, strengthening civil rights, equal rights for LGBT people, and broader separation between religion and state.

For Golan, the battle isn't just about replacing the government, but also about how Israel should look and conduct itself.

The Arab parties: the Joint List and Ra'am

We come to the Arab parties, and here it's important to understand that they don't all offer exactly the same thing.

Hadash, Ta'al and Balad are running under the Joint List, while Ra'am, headed by Mansour Abbas, is running separately.

The Joint List emphasises the struggle for equal rights for the Arab public, opposition to Israeli control in the territories, and support for establishing a Palestinian state. Alongside the political issue, it also deals with crime in Arab society, budgets and fighting discrimination.

Ra'am, by contrast, places special emphasis on the daily problems of Arab citizens: violence and crime, the housing crisis, planning and construction, and budgets for local authorities.

Ra'am also supports a political solution to the conflict, but it highlights more the civil issues and the question of how to actually improve life in Arab communities.

Shas and United Torah Judaism: the chareidi parties

And we're left with the chareidi parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, which are already a category of their own.

Both want to preserve the Torah world, secure budgets for yeshivos and chareidi educational institutions, and protect the ability of yeshiva students to continue learning instead of enlisting in the IDF.

But there are also differences between them. Shas, headed by Aryeh Deri, appeals mainly to the Sephardi chareidi public, and over the years has also attracted traditional voters. Alongside religious issues, it also emphasises assistance to families in distress and social issues.

United Torah Judaism represents mainly the Ashkenazi chareidi public, and focuses on preserving chareidi educational institutions, yeshiva budgets and the way of life of the public it represents.

Although both are identified with Netanyahu's bloc, the issues that concern them don't always divide along right and left lines. For them, preserving the Torah world and the interests of the chareidi public is at the top of the priority list.

So who do you vote for?

In the end, the elections are much more than the question of who's for Netanyahu and who's against him. There are parties that emphasise security, others the cost of living, some fighting for chareidi enlistment, and some focusing on religion and state, on settlement or on a political settlement with the Palestinians.

And before choosing, it's worth looking not just at the slogans and the videos online, but also at what each party actually offers, who the people behind it are, and what it's done until now.

Because in the end, even if this is your first time at the ballot box, your vote is worth exactly the same as everyone else's.