Israel's Election Commission Assigns Letter Designations to 38 Parties for 2026 Vote

Israel's Central Election Commission has assigned unique letter designations to 38 parties cleared to run in the upcoming 26th Knesset elections. These letters will appear on ballots when voters cast their ballots. The designations were revealed on Sunday, September 27, following the commission's approval of the parties. Notable assignments include 'Mem Het Lamed' (מחל) for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and 'Rak' (רק) for Naftali Bennett's newly formed Be Yahad party. Yair Golan's Democrats will be represented by 'Emmet' (אמת), while Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beytenu will use 'Lamed' (ל). Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit received the letter 'Bet' (ב). The commission has conditionally approved the United Arab List and the Ra'am party, pending a Supreme Court decision. The commission had previously disqualified the United Arab List on September 23, citing a clause in the Basic Law: The Knesset that prohibits parties from inciting racism. Other parties receiving designations include Yahadut HaTorah (represented by 'Gimel' - ג), Religious Zionism ('Tet' - ט), Benny Gantz's National Unity ('Kaf Nun' - כן), and Avi Maoz's Noam ('Nun Yud' - ני).

The commission also approved designations for smaller parties, including 'Dalet' (ד) for Partnership for All, 'Hey' (ה) for Garden of Eden, and 'Kaf Hey' (קה) for Kol HaNashim (Voice of Women). Some parties had their initial letter choices rejected. For instance, the Garden of Eden party's first choice of 'Yud Alef' was denied to avoid offending public sensibilities, leading to the adoption of 'Hey' (ה). The list of approved parties and their designations is subject to final review by the Supreme Court.