Israel's dramatic 1977 national election shattered nearly three decades of Labor Party rule, ushering in a new era of Orthodox religious influence through Likud's coalition government under Menachem Begin. Through firsthand observation and analysis of campaign materials, voting procedures, and coalition negotiations, this investigation reveals how Israel's distinctive proportional representation system shapes political outcomes. Unlike American-style democracy, Israeli voters select party lists rather than individual candidates, with approximately 17,000 votes securing one Knesset seat. While this system produces highly representative demographic cross-sections in the Knesset - spanning educational, economic, ethnic, and religious backgrounds - it simultaneously enables numerous small parties with narrow constituencies to wield significant power. Begin's victory required substantial concessions to religious parties Mafdal and Agudat Yisrael, including control of the Education Ministry and commitments to revise the Law of Return to recognize only Orthodox conversions. Though this political transformation significantly enhanced Orthodox institutional status and power, it represented primarily a shift in religious establishment influence rather than fundamental changes in actual religious practice among the population. These dynamics illuminate the complex interplay between democratic representation, religious authority, and political coalition-building in Israeli society.