The next prime minister will have to cobble together a coalition.

After polls close late Tuesday, the jostling for power is likely to begin — between parties small and big — to achieve a governing coalition and name the next prime minister.

Israelis are voting in a pivotal election Tuesday as their country wrestles with unresolved wars, continues to reel from Hamas' 2023 attack and is deeply divided over the character of the state and the right person to lead it.

Most votes were expected to be counted by Wednesday, but forming a government could take weeks of negotiations — or require another election.

© Jalaa Marey/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

The question of accountability for the government’s failures in the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, looms over the election.

© David Guttenfelder/The New York Times

As Israel votes, ever more strident hard-right views compete with hopes for a diverse land. The outcome could shape the country’s identity for years.

© Avishag Shaar-Yashuv for The New York Times