Many Israelis are chafing over the disproportionate power that religious parties have gained over the years through this system.

The Orthodox parties are battling to preserve their values, economic interests and political influence.

In any election, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a perennial issue. This time, the fate of the two-state solution, long accepted internationally as the basis for a resolution, is hanging in the balance after Mr. Netanyahu pledged to annex nearly a third of the occupied West Bank.

The Trump administration has said it will release its long-awaited peace plan after Israel votes.

Campaigning, meanwhile, has focused on the politics of identity and a range of fears.

For some Netanyahu supporters, the Iranian threat is paramount, while his opponents from the center-left worry about the future of Israeli democracy. They accuse Mr. Netanyahu of trying to manipulate the news media and of undermining the judiciary and law enforcement as part of a bid to gain immunity from prosecution, including by calling to curb the powers of the Supreme Court. A hearing in his corruption cases is set for early October.

For many Israelis, this election offers a choice between a continuation of a rightward, religious shift or a return to a more liberal Israel. Some feel it’s time for a change.