List of political parties in Israel explained

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,, have been coalitions comprising two or more parties.

Current parties

Parties represented in the Knesset

The following parties are represented following the 2022 election:

Party or alliance Ideology Symbol Leader Knesset Status






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Degel HaTorah


Hadash
(Maki)
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Ta'al
New Hope
Gideon Sa'ar

Other parties

The following parties do not have Knesset seats at present:

Former parties

Parties formerly represented in the Knesset

Party First Knesset Last Knesset Notes Ideology
Agriculture and Development2nd4thArab satellite listIsraeli Arab interest
Ahi16th17thBreakaway from the National Religious Party, joined the National Union alliance (2006–2008), merged into LikudReligious Zionism
Ahdut HaAvoda2nd5thMerged into the Labor PartyLabor Zionism
Ahva9th9thBreakaway from the Democratic Movement
Alignment6th12thBecame the Labor PartyLabor Zionism
Aliya14th14thBreakaway from Yisrael BaAliyah
Arab Democratic Party11th13thBreakaway from the Alignment, merged into the United Arab ListIsraeli Arab interests
Arab List for Bedouin and Villagers8th8thArab satellite list
merged into the United Arab List (1977)
Israeli Arab interests
Atid13th13thBreakaway from YiudLiberalism
Balad14th24thArab political partyPalestinian nationalism
Black Panthers12th12thBreakaway from Hadash
Centre Party14th15thBreakaway from Likud, Tzomet and Labor Party
Cooperation and Brotherhood4th7thArab satellite listIsraeli Arab interest
Cooperation and Development6th6thArab satellite list
merger of Cooperation and Brotherhood and Progress and Development, demerged soon after
Israeli Arab interest
Dash9th9thDisbanded into the Democratic Movement, Shinui, and Ya'ad
Democratic Choice15th15thBreakaway from Yisrael BaAliyah, merged into Meretz-Yachad
Democratic List for Israeli Arabs2nd3rdArab satellite listIsraeli Arab interest
Democratic Movement9th9thEmerged from the break-up of Dash
Development and Peace9th9th
Druze Faction6th6thBreakaway from Cooperation and Brotherhood, merged into Progress and Development
Faction independent of Ahdut HaAvoda2nd2ndBreakaway from Mapam, merged into Mapai
Fighters' List1st1st
Free Centre6th8thBreakaway from Herut in 6th Knesset, breakaway from Likud in 8th Knesset
Gahal5th7thBecame Likud
General Zionists1st4thMerged into the Liberal Party
Gesher13th15thBreakaway from Likud, merged back into Likud
Gesher – Zionist Religious Centre10th10thBreakaway from National Religious Party, merged back into NRP
Geulat Yisrael10th10thBreakaway from Agudat Yisrael
HaOlim16th16thBreakaway from Shinui, merged into Yisrael Beiteinu
Hapoel HaMizrachi2nd2ndMerged into the National Religious Party
Hebrew Communists1st1stBreakaway from Maki, merged into Mapam
Herut1st5thMerged into Gahal
Herut – The National Movement14th15thBreakaway from Likud, joined National Union alliance, ran unsuccessfully in the following two elections and merged back into LikudRevisionist Zionism
HaTzeirim14th14thBreakaway from the Centre Party, merged into Shinui
Independent Liberals5th9thBreakaway from the Liberal Party, merged into the Alignment
Independent Socialist Faction8th8thBreakaway from Ya'ad – Civil Rights Movement
Jewish–Arab Brotherhood6th6thBreakaway from Progress and Development, merged into Cooperation and Brotherhood
The Jewish Home18th23rdDissolved on 20 August 2023, Merged into National Religious Party–Religious ZionismReligious Zionism
Justice for the Elderly17th17thBreakaway from Gil, merged back into Gil
Kach11th11thParty banned
Labor7th25thFormed by merger of Mapai, Ahdut HaAvoda, and Rafi, merged with Meretz in 2024 to form The DemocratsLabor Zionism, social democracy
Left Camp of Israel9th9th
Left Faction2nd2ndBreakaway from Mapam
Lev15th15thBreakaway from the Centre Party, merged into Likud
Liberal Party4th5thMerged into Gahal
Maki (original)1st7thMerged into Moked
Mapai1st5thMerged into the Labor Party
Mapam1st12thMerged into MeretzSocialist Zionism
Mekhora14th14thBreakaway from Tzomet, merged into Moledet
Meretz13th25thMerger of Ratz, Mapam, Shinui. Merged with Israeli Labor Party to form The Democrats.Labor Zionism, social democracy, leftism
Meri6th7thOriginally named HaOlam HaZeh – Koah Hadash (until 1973)
Mizrachi2nd2ndMerged into the National Religious Party
Moked7th8thMerged into the Left Camp of Israel
Morasha11th11th
Moria12th12thBreakaway from Shas
Movement for the Renewal of Social Zionism10th10thBreakaway from Telem
National Home16th16thBreakaway from the Secular Faction
National List7th9thMerged into Likud
National Religious Party3rd17thDisbanded when The Jewish Home formedReligious Zionism
New Liberal Party12th12thBreakaway from Likud
New Way15th15thBreakaway from the Centre Party
Noy16th16thBreakaway from One Nation, merged into Kadima
Ometz9th11thBreakaway from Likud, merged into Telem, broke away again, merged into Likud
One Israel (1980)9th9thBreakaway from Likud
One Israel15th15thJoint list of Labor Party, Meimad and Gesher
One Nation14th16thMerged into the Labor Party
Poalei Agudat Yisrael2nd9th
Progress and Development4th8thArab satellite list
merged into the United Arab List (1977)
Progress and Work2nd3rdArab satellite list
Progressive List for Peace11th12th
Progressive National Alliance15th15thBreakaway from the United Arab List
Progressive Party1st4thMerged into the Liberal Party
Rafi5th6thBreakaway from Mapai, merged into the Labor Party
Ratz8th12thMerged into Meretz
Religious Torah Front3rd4thBroke up into Agudat Yisrael and Poalei Agudat Yisrael
Secular Faction16th16thBreakaway from Shinui
Sephardim and Oriental Communities1st2ndMerged into the General Zionists
Shinui9th16thMajority of representatives split to form Secular Faction
Shlomtzion9th9thMerged into Likud
Tami10th11thBreakaway from the National Religious Party, merged into the Likud
Tehiya9th12thBreakaway from Likud
Telem9th10thBreakaway from Likud
The Right Way17th17thBreakaway from Justice for the Elderly
The Third Way13th14thBreakaway from the Labor Party
Tkuma14th17thBreakaway from the National Religious Party, joined the National Union alliance in 1999, disbanded in 2008.Religious Zionism
Tzalash16th16thBreakaway from Shinui
United Arab List (1977)8th9thMerger of the Arab List for Bedouins and Villagers and Progress and Development (not related to contemporary United Arab List)
United Religious Front1st1stBroke up into Agudat Yisrael, Poalei Agudat Yisrael, Mizrachi and Hapoel HaMizrachi
Unity for Peace and Immigration12th12thBreakaway from the Alignment, merged into Likud
Unity Party9th9thBreakaway from Dash and the Left Camp of Israel
WIZO1st1stWIZO incorporated the Union of Hebrew Women for Equal Rights in Eretz Israel (he), also known as the Women's Union, which had won seats in the Old Yishuv elections.
Ya'ad9th9thEmerged from the break-up of Dash
Ya'ad – Civil Rights Movement8th8thMerger of Ratz and one other MK, split into Ratz and the Independent Socialist Faction
Yachad11th11thMerged into the Alignment
Yemenite Association1st2ndMerged into the General Zionists but broke away later
Yisrael BaAliyah14th16thMerged into Likud
Yiud13th13thBreakaway from Tzomet

Parties that failed to win seats in the Knesset

See main article: List of minor political parties in Israel.

Name Letter Political position Notes
Original Revisionist Zionist party, disbanded after failing to cross the electoral threshold in the 1949 elections.
Arab satellite list that ran in the 1949 elections. Affiliated with Mapam
Ran in the 2006 elections.
Ran in the 1977 elections.
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 Arab satellite list that ran in the 1955 elections. Affiliated with General Zionists

Family tree of parties in Israel

Name changes

The following parties changed their names

Zionist youth movements

See main article: Zionist youth movement.

Name Meaning Movement Association Notes
Historically associated with Herut, and now Likud.
Historically associated with Mafdal, and now The Jewish Home.
The Builders of Freedom Associated with the Labor Zionism and the United Kibbutz Movement, and unofficially with the Israeli Labor Party.
The Young Guard Associated with the left faction of Labor Zionism, historically associated with Mapam and the Kibbutz Artzi movement, and unofficially with Meretz.
The Working and Learning Youth Associated with the Labor Zionist movement, Histadrut, and unofficially with the Israeli Labor Party.
Meretz Youth Youth wing of Meretz (under 18), now associated with The Democrats
Labor Youth Young-wing of the Israeli Labor Party (under 18), now associated with The Democrats.
National Union Youth Youth wing of the Religious Zionist Party.
Hilltop Youth Historically associated with Kach, and its various successor parties.
Yesh Atid Youth Youth wing of Yesh Atid (under 18).
The Immigrants Camps Associated with the Labor Zionist movement.
The Zionist Youth Historically associated with the General Zionists.
Lion of God Split from Bnei Akiva, unofficially associated with Religious Zionist Party.
The Religious Working and Studying Youth Founded in 1952, historically associated with Hapoel HaMizrachi.
Youth wing of Likud (under 18).
Young Meretz Young-wing of Meretz (18-35).

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Carrie. Keller-Lynn. 2 August 2022. Promising to pursue Netanyahu, libertarian rebel MK Avidar announces own party. The Times of Israel.
  2. Web site: February 15, 2021. Rappeh, A New Israeli Political Party Against the Lockdowns. The Jewish Press.
  3. Web site: Raoul. 2 January 2019. Wootliff. Former defense chief Ya'alon launches new political party, Telem. The Times of Israel. 13 January 2019.
  4. News: Maya. Margit. New Israeli party focused on high living costs hopes to win youth vote. Jerusalem Post. July 22, 2022.
  5. Miriam. Krule. Ultra-Orthodox Women in Israel Launch Their Own Political Party . Slate. 21 January 2015. 28 June 2015.

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