Rdxfbgrtj

Israel
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Israel
Constitution Basic Laws Jerusalem Law Law of Return
Presidency President (list) Reuven Rivlin Designated Acting President Yuli-Yoel Edelstein
Executive Prime Minister (list) Benjamin Netanyahu Office of the Prime Minister Deputy leaders Cabinet Current (34th) Security Cabinet Kitchen Cabinet State Comptroller
Legislature Speaker: Yuli Edelstein Members (Arab) Leader of the Opposition Tzipi Livni Knesset Guard
Elections Political parties Elections Law Central Elections Committee Referendums
Judiciary Supreme Court President: Esther Hayut Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit
Administrative divisions Districts Local government Municipalities Local councils Regional councils
Foreign relations Arab League International law Status of territories United Nations Israel and the European Union Ambassadors
Other countries Atlas
v t e

Israel's political system, based on proportional representation, allows for a multi-party system with numerous parties represented in the 120-seat Knesset.

A typical Knesset includes a large number of 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, 10 parties or alliances cleared the threshold, and five of them won at least 10 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 three parties (or their antecedents) have ever led governments, all Israeli governments as of 2015^[update] have been coalitions comprising two or more parties.

Current parties

Parties represented in the Knesset

The following parties are represented following the 2015 elections:

Other parties

The following parties do not have Knesset seats at present:

• Ahrayut


• Ale Yarok


• Am Shalem


• Brit Olam


• 
  Da'am Workers Party, Organization for Democratic Action


• Dor


• Eretz Hadasha


• HaYisraelim


• 
  Kadima (held seats from 2005 to 2015)


• Koah HaKesef


• Koah LeHashpi'a


• Lazuz


• Leader


• Lehem


• Lev LaOlim


• Man's Rights in the Family Party


• 
  Meimad (held seats between 1999 and 2009 as part of One Israel alliance)


• Or


• 
  Otzma Yehudit (held seats between 2012 and 2013 after breaking away from the National Union, then under the name Otzma LeYisrael; ran unsuccessfully as a part of Yachad list in 2015 elections)


• 
  Piratim-The Pirate Party of Israel

• Sons of the New Testament


• The Greens


• Tzabar


• 
  Tzomet (held seats between 1987 and 1999; in 1996 elections formed a joint "National Camp List" with the Likud and Gesher)


• 
  U'Bizchutan— founded in 2015 as an Orthodox Jewish women's party ^[53]
  


• Yachad


• Yisrael Hazaka


• Yisrael HaMithadeshet


• Zehut

Former parties

Parties formerly represented in the Knesset

Some defunct parties without Knesset seats

• 
  Atid Ehad—ran in the 2006 elections.


• 
  Hatzohar—the original Revisionist Zionist party, disbanded after failing to cross the electoral threshold in the 1949 elections.


• 
  Popular Arab Bloc—Arab satellite list that ran in the 1949 elections.


• 
  Tafnit—ran in the 2006 elections.


• 
  Women's Party—ran in the 1977 elections.


• 
  Yamin Yisrael—broke away from Moledet, another right-wing party, prior to 1996 elections, but failed to cross the electoral threshold.


• 
  Holocaust Survivors and Grown-Up Green Leaf Party—ran in the 2009 elections.

Name changes

The 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 Mafdal (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

• 
  Betar (associated with Herut and then Likud)


• 
  Bnei Akiva (Sons of Akiva, associated with Mafdal (National Religious Party))


• 
  Habonim Dror (The Builders - Freedom, socialist Zionist youth movement associated with the Israeli Labor Party)


• 
  Hashomer Hatzair (The Young Guard, socialist Zionist youth movement associated with Mapam and unofficially with Meretz)


• 
  Magshimey Herut (associated with Herut)


• 
  HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed (The Learning and Working Youth, socialist Zionist youth movement, sister movement to Habonim Dror, associated with the Israeli Labor Party and the Histadrut)


• 
  Noar Avoda (Labour Youth, associated with Labour)


• 
  Noar Moledet (Moledet Youth, associated with Moledet)


• 
  Tzeiri Meretz (Young Meretz for 18- to-35-year-olds) and Noar Meretz (Meretz Youth for under 18s, associated with Meretz)


• 
  Noar Meir and the Hilltop Youth (associated with Kach and its various successor parties)

See also

• Politics of Israel


• List of political parties by country


• Liberalism in Israel


• Labour Zionism


• Revisionist Zionism

References

External links

• 
  Parties participating in the 2006 elections Knesset website (in English)
  


• 
  All parliamentary groups Knesset website (in English)