LIST OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN ISRAEL


'Political parties in Israel':
Israel's political system is based on proportional representation which allows for a multi-party system with numerous parties. Although there are three major parties, a single party usually has no chance of gaining power by itself, forcing the parties to cooperate and form coalition governments. This article lists the political parties in Israel.

Contents
Naming convention
Parties known by their English name
Parties known by their Hebrew name
Parties known by their Hebrew/Arabic acronym
Exceptions
Current parties
Parties represented in the current Knesset
Other parties
Minor political parties
New parties
Former parties
Name changes
Zionist youth movements
See also
External links

Naming convention


It may seem confusing that in the English-speaking media some parties are known by their Hebrew name, whilst others have their names translated into English. However, there is some method behind the inconsistency, and naming conventions can be broken into three groups.
Parties known by their English name

In general, Israeli political parties are known by their English name when there is a party with an equivalent name in the English-speaking world. This is the case for the Israeli Labour Party, which associates itself with Labour parties abroad, such as the British Labour Party. Other parties known by their English names include the National Union, the Jewish National Front and the The Greens. This explains why One Nation is known by its English name, whilst Atid Ekhad (''One Future'') is known by its Hebrew name.
Names are also generally translated when the party's origin or concept is explained in its name. This includes the United Arab List, the National Religious Party or United Torah Judaism. The latter two are also known by their English initials, NRP and UTJ.
Occasionally names are translated when the Hebrew is too unwieldy for English speakers to manage, such as the Alignment (''HaMa'arakh'').
Parties known by their Hebrew name

Israeli political parties that do not have an equivalent in the English-speaking world are usually known by their Hebrew name. This includes parties such as Kadima (''Forward''), Likud (''Consolidation''), Meretz (''Energy'') and Yisrael Beiteinu (''Israel Our Home'').
Parties known by their Hebrew/Arabic acronym

It is very common in Israel for parties to be known by acronyms of their name. This is at least partially caused by Hebrew and Arabic's capacity for acronym forming, due to the fact that vowels are not written in words. For instance, the Hebrew word ''degel'' (flag) would be written ''dgl'' (Hebrew: דגל) with the gaps filled by unwritten vowels. Thus whilst the Scottish National Party is known as the SNP, in Israel the Democratic Front for Peace (''haHazit haDemokratit leSHalom'') is known as Hadash. This is also similar to the norm in many Latin American countries; for example, a member of Brazil's ''Partido dos Trabalhadores'' (PT, or Worker's Party) can be called a "Petista" or a member of the ''Partido da Frente Liberal'', a "Pefelista."
When written in English, rather than translating the acronym, the Hebrew is used but with the vowels added. Other contemporary parties known by their acronyms include Balad, Gil, Hetz, Meimad and Shas. Historical parties named in such a way incude Mapai, Mapam, Maki, Gahal, Mizrahi and Rafi.
Exceptions

As with many rules, there are always a few exceptions. Shinui (''Reform'') is known by its Hebrew name despite Reform Parties being common internationally.

Current parties


Parties represented in the current Knesset

The following parties are represented in the 17th Knesset:
Party and constituentsLeaderSeats
KadimaEhud Olmert29
Labour - Meimad
Labour
Meimad
Ehud Barak19
ShasEli Yishai12
LikudBinyamin Netanyahu12
Yisrael BeiteinuAvigdor Lieberman11
National Union - National Religious Party
National Union

Moledet

Renewed Religious National Zionist Party

Tkuma
National Religious Party
Binyamin Elon9
GilRafi Eitan7
United Torah Judaism
Agudat Israel
Degel HaTorah
Meir Porush6
Meretz-YachadYossi Beilin5
United Arab List - Ta'al
United Arab List
Ta'al
Ibrahim Sarsur4
Hadash
Maki
Mohammad Barakeh3
BaladAzmi Bishara3

Other parties

The following parties ran for the 2006 elections but did not pass the electoral threshold:

Ale Yarok

Arab National Party

Atid Ekhad

Brit Olam

Green Party

Herut – The National Movement

Hetz (a new brand name for Citizen and State)

Jewish National Front/Yamin Israel

Justice for All

Leeder

Lekhem

Lev LaOlim

New Zionism

Organization for Democratic Action

Party for the War against Banks

Shinui

Strength to the Poor

Tafnit

Tzomet
Minor political parties

There are several other minor political parties that did not participate in the 2006 elections:

Advanced National Union

Ahavat Israel

LHVA

Moreshet Avot

Natural Law Party

Za'am

New parties


The following parties have been formed since the 2006 elections:

Social Justice

Former parties


PartyFirst KnessetLast KnessetNotes
Agriculture and Development2nd4th
Agudat Israel Workers2nd9thMerged into Agudat Israel
Akhva9th9thBreakaway from the Democratic Movement
Alignment6th12thBecame the Labour Party
Aliya14th14thBreakaway from Israel BaAliya
Arab Democratic Party11th13thBreakaway from the Alignment, merged into the United Arab List
Arab List for Bedouins and Villagers8th8thMerged into the United Arab List (1976)
Atid13th13thBreakaway from Yiud
Black Panthers12th12thBreakaway from Hadash
Centre Party14th15thBreakaway from Likud, Tzomet and Labour
Cooperation and Brotherhood4th7th
Cooperation and Development6th6thMerger of Cooperation and Brotherhood and Progress and Development, demerged soon after
Dash9th9thDisbanded into the Democratic Movement, Shinui, and Ya'ad
Democratic Choice15th15thBreakaway from Israel BaAliya, merged into Meretz-Yachad
Democratic List for Israeli Arabs2nd3rd
Democratic Movement9th9thEmerged from the breakup of Dash
Development and Peace9th9th
Druze Party6th6thBreakaway from Cooperation and Brotherhood, merged into Progress and Development
Faction independent of Labour Unity2nd2ndBreakaway 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 the National Religious Party, merged back into the NRP
Geulat Israel10th10thBreakaway from Agudat Israel
Hatzohar--Disbanded after failing to cross the electoral threshold in the 1949 elections
Hebrew Communists1st1stBreakaway from Maki, merged into Mapam
Herut1st5thMerged into Gahal
Independent Liberals5th9thBreakaway from the Liberal Party, merged into the Alignment
Independent Socialist Faction8th8thBreakaway from Ya'ad – Civil Rights Movement
Israel BaAliya14th16thMerged into Likud
Jewish-Arab Brotherhood6th6thBreakaway from Progress and Development, merged into Cooperation and Brotherhood
Kach11th11thParty banned
Labour Unity2nd5thMerged into the Labour Party
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 Labour Party
Mapam1st12thMerged into Meretz
Mekhora14th14thBreakaway from Tzomet, merged into Moledet
Meri7th7thEstablished after This World - New Power broke up
Mizrahi2nd2ndMerged into the National Religious Party
Mizrahi Workers2nd2ndMerged into the National Religious Party
Moked7th8thMerged into the Left Camp of Israel
Morasha11th11th
Moriah12th12thBreakaway from Shas
Movement for the Renewal of Social Zionism10th10thBreakaway from Telem
National Home16th16thBreakaway from the Secular Faction
National List7th9thMerged into Likud
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 Labour, Meimad and Gesher
One Nation14th16thMerged into the Labour Party
Progress and Development4th8thMerged into the United Arab List (1976)
Progress and Work2nd3rd
Progressive List for Peace11th12th
Progressive National Alliance15th15thBreakaway from the United Arab List
Progressive Party1st4thMerged into the Liberal Party
Rafi5th6thBreakaway from Mapai, merged into the Labour Party
Ratz8th12thMerged into Meretz
Religious Torah Front3rd4thBroke up into Agudat Israel and Agudat Israel Workers
Sephardim and Oriental Communities1st2ndMerged into the General Zionists
Shlomtzion9th9thMerged into Likud
Tami10th11thBreakaway from the National Religious Party, merged into the Likud
Tehiya9th12thBreakaway from Likud
Telem9th10thBreakaway from Likud
The Immigrants16th16thBreakaway from Shinui, merged into Yisrael Beiteinu
The Third Way13th14thBreakaway from the Labour Party
The Youth14th14thBreakaway from the Centre Party, merged into Shinui
This World – New Power6th7th
Tzalash16th16thBreakaway from Shinui
United Arab List (1976)8th9thMerger of the Arab List for Bedouins and Villagers and Progress and Development (not related to contemorary United Arab List)
United Religious Front1st1stBroke up into Agudat Israel, Agudat Israel Workers, Mizrahi and Mizrahi Workers
Unity for Peace and Immigration12th12thBreakaway from the Alignment, merged into Likud
Unity Party9th9thBreakaway from Dash and the Left Camp of Israel
WIZO1st1st
Women's Party--Formed before the 1977 elections but did not pass the electoral threshold
Ya'ad9th9thEmerged from the breakup 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
Yiud13th13thBreakaway from Tzomet

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

★ ''Israel in the Centre'' became the Centre Party

★ ''Meretz'' became ''Yachad'' then Meretz-Yachad

★ ''Movement for Change and Initiative'' became Shinui

★ ''Mizrahi-Mizrahi Workers'' became the ''National Religious Front'' then the National Religious Party

★ ''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

★ ''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


Main articles: Zionist youth movement


Betar (associated with Likud)

Bnei Akiva (''Sons of Akiva'', associated with the National Religious Party)

Habonim Dror (''The Builders - Freedom'', socialist Zionist youth movement)

Hashomer Hatzair (''The Young Guard'', socialist Zionist youth movement associated with Mapam and Meretz-Yachad)

Magshimey Herut (associated with Herut)

HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed (''The Learning and Working Youth'', socialist Zionist youth movement)

Noar Avoda (''Labour Youth'', associated with Labour)

Noar Moledet (''Moledet Youth'', associated with Moledet)

Noar Meretz (''Meretz Youth'', associated with Meretz-Yachad)

See also



Index of political parties to browse parties by name

List of political parties to browse parties by country

List of political parties by ideology to browse parties by name

Membership of internationals to browse parties by membership of internationals

Liberalism in Israel

Labour Zionism

Revisionist Zionism

Zionism

Knesset

List of Knesset members

List of Knesset speakers

List of Likud Knesset Members

Prime Minister of Israel

President of Israel

Basic Laws of Israel

External links



State of Israel - Ministry of Justice, Party registrar, list of registered political parties

All the Israeli political parties participating in the March 28, 2006 elections.

All parliamentary groups in the Knesset by name

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