Fifty-two years later, that goal seems to be in sight. Several of the Basic Laws can only be amended by an absolute or special majority of the legislative body. There are 11 of these laws, which dictate everything from the organization of "The Israel Defense Forces" to the insurance of universal "Freedom of Occupation." Cur- rently, three additional laws are under consideration; one would guarantee the "Freedom of Expression and Association." KNESSET The Basic Laws also provide the framework for the Knesset, the Israeli parlia- ment. Although the law defines neither the authority of the body nor its functions and regulations, it outlines general guidelines on the essence of the service, work, and immunity of the Knesset, as well as election procedures. National elections in Israel are held at least once every four years. Israelis do not directly elect candi- dates for seats in the Knesset; instead, they vote for political parties, fifteen of which are represented in the current Knesset. The percentage of the popular vote received by a given party is then converted to a proportion of the 120 seats of the Knesset, provided that the party receives at least 1.5% of the national vote. As of 1996, Israelis elect their prime minister directly and vote for a parliamen- tary party. Intended to bolster the stability of the government by reducing the leverage of smaller parties, the current system enables the directly elected prime minister to claim a national mandate irrespective of party politics in the Knesset. A motion of no-confidence in the government can be presented only by parties not represented in the Knesset. To date, there has been only one vote of no-confi- dence-on March 15,1990-that succeeded in bringing down the government. POLITICAL PARTIES. The two major parties are Labor and Likud . Labor's roots are in old-style Labor Zionism, while Likud still carries the banner of Revisionist Zionism, established by Vladimir Jabotinsky, who created the Jewish brigades to help the British in both world wars. The criti- cal issue separating left and right in Israeli politics is the question of territorial compromise in exchange for peace . The state of Israel requires army service for all Israeli citizens at the age of 18. After a basic training program lasting several weeks, men serve for a minimum of three years, and women for two. Many Israelis who pass a rigorous physical evaluation decide to enter one of the many divisions of the army that require extra service time. These include paratroopers, golani , and givati . After the termination of service, Israeli men are still required to work for tzahal for at least a month each year until the age of forty-five or fifty, unless they present a reason for exemption . There are several controversial exemptions from the army, including Arab- Israelis, Ultra-Orthodox Jews, and National Service volunteers . These groups are all required to register their status.