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List of political parties in Israel

None

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	Political position	Symbol	Leader	Knesset	Status
Likud}};"		Likud		Right-wing
Benjamin Netanyahu	[[File:Benjamin Netanyahu, February 2023 (3x4 cropped).jpg	border	60px]]
Yesh Atid}};"		Yesh Atid		Centre
Yair Lapid	[[File:Yair Lapid (D1237-011) (cropped1).jpg	border	60px]]
Shas}};"		Shas	{{ubl	Religious Zionism	Sephardic and Mizrahi interests	Haredi interests		Social: Right-wing
Fiscal: Centre-left
Aryeh Deri
Blue and White (political party)}};"		Blue & White		Centre to
centre-right
Benny Gantz	[[File:Benny_Gantz_2019_(cropped).jpg	border	60px]]
Religious Zionist Party}};"		Mafdal – Religious Zionism		Far-right
Bezalel Smotrich	[[File:Bezalel_Smotrich.jpg	border	60px]]
United Torah Judaism}};"		United
Torah
Judaism	Agudat Yisrael}};"		Agudat Yisrael		Right-wing

Degel HaTorah}};"		Degel HaTorah
Otzma Yehudit}};"		Otzma Yehudit	Kahanism
Ultranationalism
Far-right		Itamar Ben-Gvir	[[File:Itamar_Ben_Gvir_3_(cropped).jpg	border	60px]]
Yisrael Beiteinu}};"		Yisrael Beiteinu		Right-wing
to far-right
Avigdor Lieberman	[[File:Avigdor_Lieberman_2017.jpg	border	60px]]
United Arab List}};"		United Arab List
Mansour Abbas	[[File:Mansour_Abbas,_April_3_2023_(cropped).jpg	border	60px]]
Hadash–Ta'al}};"		Hadash–
Ta'al	Hadash}};"		Hadash (Maki)		Left-wing

Ta'al}};"		Ta'al
The Democrats (Israel)}};"		The Democrats		Centre-left
to left-wing		Yair Golan	[[File:Yair Golan in Evyatar.jpg	border	60px]]
	Noam		Far-right		Avi Maoz	[[File:Avi_Maoz,_2021.jpeg	border	60px]]

New/expected party

Bennett 2026
Yashar
Reservists

Other parties

The 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 (held seats from 1996 to 2022)
Bible Bloc
Brit Olam
Da'am Workers Party, Organization for Democratic Action
Derekh Eretz
Dor
Eretz Hadasha
Green Party
HaYisraelim
Ihud Bnei HaBrit (Union of Allies)
Israel Hofsheet (Free Israel)
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.
Shavim (Community) — Founded in 2018 as an LGBT party
Telem
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.
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
Yachad
Yisrael Hazaka
Yisrael HaMithadeshet
Zehut

Former parties

Parties formerly represented in the Knesset

Party	First Knesset	Last Knesset	Notes	Ideology
Agriculture and Development	2nd	4th	Arab satellite list	Pro-Mapai
Ahi	16th	17th	Breakaway from the National Religious Party, joined the National Union alliance (2006–2008), merged into Likud	Religious Zionism
Ahdut HaAvoda	2nd	5th	Merged into the Labor Party	Labor Zionism, democratic socialism
Ahva	9th	9th	Breakaway from the Democratic Movement	Liberalism
Alignment	6th	12th	Became the Labor Party	Labor Zionism, social democracy
Aliya	14th	14th	Breakaway from Yisrael BaAliyah	Interests of 1990s post-Soviet migrants
Arab Democratic Party	11th	13th	Breakaway from the Alignment, merged into the United Arab List	Pro-Labor Party
Arab List for Bedouin and Villagers	8th	8th	Arab satellite list; merged into the United Arab List (1977)	Pro-Labor Party
Atid	13th	13th	Breakaway from Yiud	Liberalism
Black Panthers	12th	12th	Breakaway from Hadash	Socialism, Mizrahi interests
Centre Party	14th	15th	Breakaway from Likud, Tzomet and Labor Party
Cooperation and Brotherhood	4th	7th	Arab satellite list	Pro-Mapai
Cooperation and Development	6th	6th	Arab satellite list; merger of Cooperation and Brotherhood and Progress and Development, demerged soon after	Pro-Mapai
Dash	9th	9th	Disbanded into the Democratic Movement, Shinui, and Ya'ad	Liberalism
Democratic Choice	15th	15th	Breakaway from Yisrael BaAliyah, merged into Meretz-Yachad	Social democracy, interests of post-Soviet migrants
Democratic List for Israeli Arabs	2nd	3rd	Arab satellite list	Israeli Arab interest
Democratic Movement	9th	9th	Emerged from the break-up of Dash	Liberalism
Development and Peace	9th	9th	Arab satellite list	Pro-Labor Party
Druze Faction	6th	6th	Breakaway from Cooperation and Brotherhood, merged into Progress and Development	Druze interests
Faction independent of Ahdut HaAvoda	2nd	2nd	Breakaway from Mapam, merged into Mapai	Democratic socialism
Fighters' List	1st	1st		Revisionist Zionism, Ultranationalism
Free Centre	6th	8th	Breakaway from Herut in 6th Knesset, breakaway from Likud in 8th Knesset
Gahal	5th	7th	Became Likud
General Zionists	1st	4th	Merged into the Liberal Party
Gesher	13th	15th	Breakaway from Likud, merged back into Likud
Gesher – Zionist Religious Centre	10th	10th	Breakaway from National Religious Party, merged back into NRP
Geulat Yisrael	10th	10th	Breakaway from Agudat Yisrael
HaOlim	16th	16th	Breakaway from Shinui, merged into Yisrael Beiteinu
Hapoel HaMizrachi	2nd	2nd	Merged into the National Religious Party
Hebrew Communists	1st	1st	Breakaway from Maki, merged into Mapam
Herut	1st	5th	Merged into Gahal
Herut – The National Movement	14th	15th	Breakaway from Likud, joined National Union alliance, ran unsuccessfully in the following two elections and merged back into Likud	Revisionist Zionism
HaTzeirim	14th	14th	Breakaway from the Centre Party, merged into Shinui
Independent Liberals	5th	9th	Breakaway from the Liberal Party, merged into the Alignment
Independent Socialist Faction	8th	8th	Breakaway from Ya'ad – Civil Rights Movement
Jewish–Arab Brotherhood	6th	6th	Breakaway from Progress and Development, merged into Cooperation and Brotherhood
The Jewish Home	18th	23rd	Dissolved on 20 August 2023, Merged into National Religious Party–Religious Zionism	Religious Zionism
Justice for the Elderly	17th	17th	Breakaway from Gil, merged back into Gil
Kach	11th	11th	Party banned	Religious Zionism, Kahanism
Labor	7th	25th	Formed by merger of Mapai, Ahdut HaAvoda, and Rafi, merged with Meretz in 2024 to form The Democrats	Labor Zionism, social democracy
Left Camp of Israel	9th	9th		Democratic socialism, pacifism
Left Faction	2nd	2nd	Breakaway from Mapam	Communism
Lev	15th	15th	Breakaway from the Centre Party, merged into Likud
Liberal Party	4th	5th	Merged into Gahal
Maki (original)	1st	7th	Merged into Moked	Communism, non-Zionism
Mapai	1st	5th	Merged into the Labor Party	Labor Zionism
Mapam	1st	12th	Merged into Meretz	Labor Zionism, democratic socialism
Mekhora	14th	14th	Breakaway from Tzomet, merged into Moledet
Meretz	13th	24th	Merger of Ratz, Mapam, Shinui. Merged with Israeli Labor Party to form The Democrats.	Labor Zionism, progressivism
Meri	6th	7th	Originally named HaOlam HaZeh – Koah Hadash (until 1973)	Progressivism, left-wing populism
Mizrachi	2nd	2nd	Merged into the National Religious Party
Moked	7th	8th	Successor of Maki, erged into the Left Camp of Israel	Socialism, post-Zionism
Morasha	11th	11th
Moria	12th	12th	Breakaway from Shas
Movement for the Renewal of Social Zionism	10th	10th	Breakaway from Telem
National Home	16th	16th	Breakaway from the Secular Faction
National List	7th	9th	Merged into Likud
National Religious Party	3rd	17th	Disbanded when The Jewish Home formed	Religious Zionism
New Liberal Party	12th	12th	Breakaway from Likud
New Way	15th	15th	Breakaway from the Centre Party
Noy	16th	16th	Breakaway from One Nation, merged into Kadima
Ometz	9th	11th	Breakaway from Likud, merged into Telem, broke away again, merged into Likud
One Israel (1980)	9th	9th	Breakaway from Likud
One Israel	15th	15th	Joint list of Labor Party, Meimad and Gesher	Zionism, Social democracy
One Nation	14th	16th	Merged into the Labor Party
Poalei Agudat Yisrael	2nd	9th
Progress and Development	4th	8th	Arab satellite list; merged into the United Arab List (1977)	Pro-Mapai/Labor Party
Progress and Work	2nd	3rd	Arab satellite list	Pro-Mapai
Progressive List for Peace	11th	12th		Pacifism, socialism
Progressive National Alliance	15th	15th	Breakaway from the United Arab List
Progressive Party	1st	4th	Merged into the Liberal Party
Rafi	5th	6th	Breakaway from Mapai, merged into the Labor Party	Labor Zionism
Ratz	8th	12th	Merged into Meretz	Progressivism, liberal socialism
Religious Torah Front	3rd	4th	Broke up into Agudat Yisrael and Poalei Agudat Yisrael
Secular Faction	16th	16th	Breakaway from Shinui
Sephardim and Oriental Communities	1st	2nd	Merged into the General Zionists
Shinui	9th	16th	Majority of representatives split to form Secular Faction
Shlomtzion	9th	9th	Merged into Likud
Tami	10th	11th	Breakaway from the National Religious Party, merged into the Likud
Tehiya	9th	12th	Breakaway from Likud
Telem	9th	10th	Breakaway from Likud
The Right Way	17th	17th	Breakaway from Justice for the Elderly
The Third Way	13th	14th	Breakaway from the Labor Party
Tkuma	14th	17th	Breakaway from the National Religious Party, joined the National Union alliance in 1999, disbanded in 2008.	Religious Zionism
Tzalash	16th	16th	Breakaway from Shinui
United Arab List (1977)	8th	9th	Merger of the Arab List for Bedouins and Villagers and Progress and Development (not related to contemporary United Arab List)
United Religious Front	1st	1st	Broke up into Agudat Yisrael, Poalei Agudat Yisrael, Mizrachi and Hapoel HaMizrachi
Unity for Peace and Immigration	12th	12th	Breakaway from the Alignment, merged into Likud
Unity Party	9th	9th	Breakaway from Dash and the Left Camp of Israel	Socialism, Mizrahi interests
WIZO	1st	1st	WIZO incorporated the , which had won seats in the Assembly of Representatives.
Ya'ad	9th	9th	Emerged from the break-up of Dash
Ya'ad – Civil Rights Movement	8th	8th	Merger of Ratz and MK Aryeh Eliav, split into Ratz and the Independent Socialist Faction which then merged into the Left Camp of Israel	Progressivism, liberal socialism
Yachad	11th	11th	Merged into the Alignment
Yemenite Association	1st	2nd	Merged into the General Zionists but broke away later
Yisrael BaAliyah	14th	16th	Merged into Likud
Yiud	13th	13th	Breakaway from Tzomet

Parties that failed to win seats in the Knesset

Main article: List of minor political parties in Israel

Name	Political position	Notes
Hatzohar	Right-wing	Original Revisionist Zionist party, disbanded after failing to cross the electoral threshold in the 1949 elections.
Popular Arab Bloc	Left-wing to far-left	Arab satellite list that ran in the 1949 elections. Affiliated with Mapam
Tafnit	Centre	Ran in the 2006 elections.
Women's Party	Centre-left to Left-wing	Ran in the 1977 elections.
Yamin Yisrael	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	Centre	Arab satellite list that ran in the 1955 elections. Affiliated with General Zionists

Family tree of parties in Israel

{{Quote box	quote =	title = Left-wing and Labor Zionist		caption=The main predecessors of The Democrats except Shinui which left Meretz.}}

|{{Quote box | |}} |{{Quote box | |}} |}

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 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

Main article: Zionist youth movement

Name	Meaning	Movement	Association
Betar	League of Joseph Trumpeldor	Revisionist	Likud}}"	Likud
Bnei Akiva	Sons of Akiva	Religious	The Jewish Home}}"	The Jewish Home
Habonim Dror	The Builders of Freedom	Labor	Israeli Labor Party}}"	Labor Party
Hashomer Hatzair	The Young Guard	Labor	Meretz}}"	Meretz
HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed	The Working and Learning Youth	Labor	Israeli Labor Party}}"	Labor Party
Meretz Youth	Meretz Youth	Labor	Meretz}}"	Meretz
Noar HaAvoda	Labor Youth	Labor	Israeli Labor Party}}"	Labor Party
Noar HaIhud HaLeumi	National Union Youth	Religious	Religious Zionist Party}}"	Religious Zionist
Noar HaGvaot	Hilltop Youth	Religious	Otzma Yehudit}}"	Otzma Yehudit
Noar Yesh Atid	Yesh Atid Youth	Liberal	Yesh Atid}}"	Yesh Atid
HaMahanot HaOlim	The Immigrants Camps	Labor	Independent}}"	None
HaNoar HaTzioni	The Zionist Youth	Liberal	Independent}}"	None
Ariel	Lion of God	Religious	Religious Zionist Party}}"	Religious Zionist
HaNoar HaDati HaOved VeHaLomed	The Religious Working and Studying Youth	Religious	Independent}}"	None
	The Likud Youth	Revisionist	Likud}}"	Likud
Young Meretz	Young Meretz	Labor	Meretz}}"	Meretz

Notes

References

"Israel's fragile coalition faces early survival test – DW – 06/03/2021".
(20 January 2010). "Hareidi Party Joins WZO". [[Arutz Sheva]].
(17 March 2024). "PM said to scrap vote on head for civil service panel amid coalition opposition". [[The Times of Israel]].
"Israel".
Sokol, Sam. (30 June 2024). "Labor and Meretz merge into a united "liberal-democratic Zionist party": The Democrats". [[The Times of Israel]].
Keller-Lynn, Carrie. (2 August 2022). "Promising to pursue Netanyahu, libertarian rebel MK Avidar announces own party".
(February 15, 2021). "Rappeh, A New Israeli Political Party Against the Lockdowns".
Wootliff, Raoul. (2 January 2019). "Former defense chief Ya'alon launches new political party, Telem".
Margit, Maya. (July 22, 2022). "New Israeli party focused on high living costs hopes to win youth vote".
Krule, Miriam. (21 January 2015). "Ultra-Orthodox Women in Israel Launch Their Own Political Party".
(February 2012). "Wars, Internal Conflicts, and Political Order: A Jewish Democracy in the Middle East". [[State University of New York Press]].

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