The Knesset has 120 seats. Due to the low percentage of votes needed for a seat in the Knesset, many political parties typically win seats. The current Knesset has representatives of 17 parties. People in America sometimes complain they have little choice in their elections, that the two major parties are very similar. This is not the case in Israel where it is possible to find parties for nearly every opinion.
Political parties represent various ethnic groups, political ideologies and causes.
There are also religious parties in the Knesset, since there is no formal separation between religion and state in Israel. Israel's two main political parties are the Labor party and the Likud party . The former dominated Israeli politics until 1977, when the Likud's Menachem Begin was elected Prime Minister . Since then, representatives of both parties have served in the office. Ehud Barak is the current Prime Minister.