Israel - Political Parties in Israel

Israel has a multi-party system, with numerous parties in which no one party often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties must work with each other to form coalition governments.

The Parties

The general rule on naming applies. That means: the parties are named in the English translation and the original native name is placed on the first line of the article unless the native form is more commonly used in English than the English form. Rationale and specifics: See: Wikipedia:Naming conventions (use English).

Parties with Representation in the 16th Knesset

* Change, better known as Shinui
* Consolidation, better known as Likud
* Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hachazit Hademokratit leshalom uleshivyon or Hadash) coalition including
o Communist Party of Israel (Miflaga Komunistit Yisraelit or Maki)
* Labour (HaAvoda)
* National Democratic League ('Brit Leumit Demokratit - Al-Tajamu' Al-Watani Al-Demokrati) - Nationalist Arab party
* National Religious Party (Miflaga Datit Le'umit or Mafdal)
* National Union (HaIhud HaLeumi), coalition including
o Homeland, better known as Moledet
o Our Home Israel (Yisrael Betenu)
o Revival, better known as Tkuma)
* One Nation (Israel) (Am Ehad)
* Sephardim Religious Party, better known as Shas (Mifleget HaSfaradim Shomrei Torah)
* Social Democratic Israel, better known as Yachad (Yachad)
* United Arab List (Reshima Aravit Me'uchede)
* United Torah Judaism (Yahadut HaTora): coalition including
o Israelite Union (Agudat Yisrael)
o Banner of Torah (Degel HaTorah)

Other Parties

The following list is of parties which ran for the 16th Knesset elections, but did not manage to pass the minimum vote share of 1.5% (recently raised to 2%) required to be represented. Some of them were parties created specifically for these elections, and effectively dissolved immediately afterwards.

* Ale Yarok (Green Leaf)
* Ha-Yerukim (Green Party)
* Herut The National Movement (Freedom)
* Ahavat Israel
* Citizen and State
* Da'am (Arab party)
* Organization for Democratic Action
* Advanced National Union
* Centrist Party
* Za'am - Social Justice
* Another Israel
* L.H.V.A.
* Leader
* Man's Rights
* Moreshet Avot (Heritage of the Fathers)
* Tzomet

Former Parties

* Achdut Ha-Avodah (Labor Unity)
* Dash
* Herut (joined with the Liberals to form Gahal).
* Gahal (evolved to Likud)
* General Zionist Party
* Israel Ba-Aliya (merged with Likud)
* Kach (now banned)
* Liberal Party of Israel (joined with Herut to form Gahal, formally merged with Herut in 1988)
* Mapai (Mifleget Poalei Yisrael - Israel Workers' Movement, merged into the Israel Labour Party)
* Mapam (Mifleget Ha-Po'alim Ha-Me'ukhdet - United Workers' Party, merged into Meretz)
* Meretz (Israeli left-wing Party, disbanded and merged into Yachad)
* Mifleget HaMerkaz (disbanded)
* Rafi (merged into Labour Alignment)
* Ratz (merged into Meretz)

Political Youth Movements

* Beitar (associated with Likud)
* Bnei Akiva (associated with Mafdal)
* Habonim Dror (Zionist Socialist Youth movement)
* HaShomer HaTzair (Zionist Socialist Youth movement associated with Mapam, Meretz and Yachad)
* HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed (Zionist Socialist Youth movement)
* Noar Avoda (associated with Israeli Labor party)
* Noar Moledet (associated with Moledet)
* Noar Yachad (associated with Yachad)

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