Israel's political system is based on proportional representation, and allows for a multi-party system, with numerous parties represented in the 120-seat Knesset.
A typical Knesset includes many factions represented. This is because of the low election threshold required for a seat – 1 percent of the vote from 1949 to 1992, 1.5 percent from 1992 to 2003, 2 percent from 2003 to 2014, and 3.25 percent since 2015. In the 2015 elections, for instance, ten parties or alliances cleared the threshold, and five of them won at least ten seats. The low threshold, in combination with the nationwide party-list system, makes it all but impossible for a single party to win the 61 seats needed for a majority government. No party has ever won a majority of seats in an election, the most being 56, won by the Alignment grouping in the 1969 elections (the Alignment had briefly held a majority of seats before the elections, following its formation in January 1969).
As a result, while only four parties (or their antecedents) have ever led governments, all Israeli governments, as of 2024[update], have been coalitions comprising two or more parties.
Current parties
editParties represented in the Knesset
editThe following parties are represented following the 2022 election:
| Party or alliance | Ideology | Symbol | Leader | Knesset | Status | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Likud[a] | מחל محل |
Benjamin Netanyahu |  |
32 / 120 |
Government | ||||
| Yesh Atid | פה فه |
Yair Lapid | .jpg) |
24 / 120 |
Opposition | ||||
| Shas[a] | שס شس |
Aryeh Deri | .jpg) |
11 / 120 |
Government | ||||
| National Unity |
Blue and White Israel Resilience Party |
כן كن |
Benny Gantz | .jpg) |
8 / 120 |
Opposition | |||
| Mafdal – Religious Zionism[a] | ט ط |
Bezalel Smotrich |  |
7 / 120 |
Government | ||||
| United Torah Judaism[a] |
Agudat Yisrael | ג ج |
Moshe Gafni | .png) |
7 / 120 |
Government | |||
| Degel HaTorah | |||||||||
| Otzma Yehudit[a] | Kahanism Ultranationalism Jewish supremacism[2] |
Itamar Ben-Gvir | .jpg) |
6 / 120 |
Government | ||||
| Yisrael Beiteinu | ל ل |
Avigdor Lieberman |  |
6 / 120 |
Opposition | ||||
| United Arab List | עם عم |
Mansour Abbas | .jpg) |
5 / 120 |
Opposition | ||||
| Hadash– Ta'al |
Hadash (Maki) |
|
ום وم |
Ayman Odeh | .png) |
5 / 120 |
Opposition | ||
| Ta'al | |||||||||
| The Democrats[b] | Yair Golan |  |
4 / 120 |
Opposition | |||||
| New Hope | ת ت |
Gideon Sa'ar |  |
4 / 120 |
Government | ||||
| Noam[a] | כ | Avi Maoz |  |
1 / 120 |
Government | ||||
- ^ a b c d e f Part of the national camp.
- ^ Elected as Israeli Labor Party MKs. In July 2024, Labor merged with Meretz to form The Democrats.
Other parties
editThe following parties do not have Knesset seats at present:
- Ahrayut
- Ale Yarok
- Am Shalem
- Ani Veata (Me and You) — The Israeli People's Party
- Arab Democratic Party
- Balad
- Bible Bloc
- Brit Olam
- Da'am Workers Party, Organization for Democratic Action
- Derekh Eretz
- Dor
- Eretz Hadasha
- Green Party
- HaYisraelim
- Ihud Bnei HaBrit (United Allies)
- Israel Hofsheet (Israel Free)[3]
- Kadima (held seats from 2005 to 2015)
- Koah HaKesef
- Koah LeHashpi'a
- Lazuz
- Leader
- Lehem
- Lev LaOlim
- Man's Rights in the Family Party
- Magen Yisrael (Shield of Israel)
- Mahane Yehuda — Royalist Party of Israel
- Meimad (held seats between 1999 and 2009 as part of the One Israel alliance)
- New Horizon
- New Right
- Or
- Piratim — The Pirate Party of Israel
- Rappeh — a political party protesting COVID restrictions.[4]
- Shavim (Community) — Founded in 2018 as an LGBT party
- Telem[5]
- The Greens
- Tzeirim Boarim (Youths on Fire) — A big tent party founded in 2022 by Hadar Muchtar with the purpose of combating the rising cost of living.[6]
- Tzomet (held seats between 1987 and 1999; for the 1996 elections, it formed a joint "National Camp List" with Likud and Gesher)
- U'Bizchutan — founded in 2015 as an ultra-Orthodox Jewish women's party [7]
- Yachad
- Yisrael Hazaka
- Yisrael HaMithadeshet
- Zehut
Former parties
editParties formerly represented in the Knesset
editParties that failed to win seats in the Knesset
edit| Name | Letter | Political position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hatzohar | ג | Right-wing | Original Revisionist Zionist party, disbanded after failing to cross the electoral threshold in the 1949 elections. |
| Popular Arab Bloc | ת | Left-wing | Arab satellite list that ran in the 1949 elections. Affiliated with Mapam |
| Tafnit | פ | Centre | Ran in the 2006 elections. |
| Women's Party | נס | Centre-left to Left-wing | Ran in the 1977 elections. |
| Yamin Yisrael | יד | Right-wing | Broke away from Moledet, another right-wing party, prior to the 1996 elections, but failed to cross the electoral threshold. |
| The Arab List - The Center | צח | Centre | Arab satellite list that ran in the 1955 elections. Affiliated with General Zionists |
Family tree of parties in Israel
editName changes
editThe following parties changed their names
- Banai became Tehiya-Bnai, then Tehiya
- Emunim became Tkuma
- Equality in Israel-Panthers became the Unity Party
- Flatto-Sharon became Development and Peace
- Hitkhabrut became the Renewed Religious National Zionist Party, then Ahi
- Israel in the Centre became the Centre Party
- Meretz became Yachad, then Meretz-Yachad, then Meretz again
- Movement for Change and Initiative became Shinui
- Mizrachi-Hapoel HaMizrachi became the National Religious Front, then National Religious Party, then The Jewish Home
- National Responsibility became Kadima
- National Unity - National Progressive Alliance became Progressive National Alliance
- Parliamentary Group of Bronfman and Tsinker became Makhar, then the Democratic Choice
- Party for the Advancement of the Zionist Idea became the New Liberal Party
- Rafi – National List became Ometz
- Rakah became Maki
- Secular Faction became Hetz
- Social-Democratic Faction became the Independent Socialist Faction
- Shinui - Centre Party became Shinui - the Secular Movement, then Shinui - Party for the Secular and the Middle Class, but is generally known as Shinui
Zionist youth movements
edit| Name | Meaning | Movement | Association | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Betar | League of Joseph Trumpeldor | Revisionist | Likud | Historically associated with Herut, and now Likud. | |
| Bnei Akiva | Sons of Akiva | Religious | The Jewish Home | Historically associated with Mafdal, and now The Jewish Home. | |
| Habonim Dror | The Builders of Freedom | Labor | Labor Party | Associated with the Labor Zionism and the United Kibbutz Movement, and unofficially with the Israeli Labor Party. | |
| Hashomer Hatzair | The Young Guard | Labor | Meretz | Associated with the left faction of Labor Zionism, historically associated with Mapam and the Kibbutz Artzi movement, and unofficially with Meretz. | |
| HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed | The Working and Learning Youth | Labor | Labor Party | Associated with the Labor Zionist movement, Histadrut, and unofficially with the Israeli Labor Party. | |
| Meretz Youth | Meretz Youth | Labor | Meretz | Youth wing of Meretz (under 18), now associated with The Democrats | |
| Noar HaAvoda | Labor Youth | Labor | Labor Party | Young-wing of the Israeli Labor Party (under 18), now associated with The Democrats. | |
| Noar HaIhud HaLeumi | National Union Youth | Religious | Religious Zionist | Youth wing of the Religious Zionist Party. | |
| Noar HaGvaot | Hilltop Youth | Religious | Otzma Yehudit | Historically associated with Kach, and its various successor parties. | |
| Noar Yesh Atid | Yesh Atid Youth | Liberal | Yesh Atid | Youth wing of Yesh Atid (under 18). | |
| HaMahanot HaOlim | The Immigrants Camps | Labor | None | Associated with the Labor Zionist movement. | |
| HaNoar HaTzioni | The Zionist Youth | Liberal | None | Historically associated with the General Zionists. | |
| Ariel | Lion of God | Religious | Religious Zionist | Split from Bnei Akiva, unofficially associated with Religious Zionist Party. | |
| HaNoar HaDati HaOved VeHaLomed | The Religious Working and Studying Youth | Religious | None | Founded in 1952, historically associated with Hapoel HaMizrachi. | |
| Noar HaLikud | The Likud Youth | Revisionist | Likud | Youth wing of Likud (under 18). | |
| Young Meretz | Young Meretz | Labor | Meretz | Young-wing of Meretz (18-35). | |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Hareidi Party Joins WZO". Arutz Sheva. 20 January 2010. Archived from the original on 5 November 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- ^ Sharon, Jeremy (1 August 2022). "Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit close in on far-right unity deal". Times of Israel. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ Keller-Lynn, Carrie (2 August 2022). "Promising to pursue Netanyahu, libertarian rebel MK Avidar announces own party". The Times of Israel.
- ^ "Rappeh, A New Israeli Political Party Against the Lockdowns". The Jewish Press. 15 February 2021.
- ^ Wootliff, Raoul (2 January 2019). "Former defense chief Ya'alon launches new political party, Telem". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
- ^ Margit, Maya (22 July 2022). "New Israeli party focused on high living costs hopes to win youth vote". Jerusalem Post.
- ^ Krule, Miriam (21 January 2015). "Ultra-Orthodox Women in Israel Launch Their Own Political Party". Slate. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
External links
edit- Parties participating in the 2006 elections Knesset website (in English)
- All parliamentary groups Knesset website (in English)