List of political parties in Israel

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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 as of 2021 have been coalitions comprising two or more parties.

Current parties[]

Parties represented in the Knesset[]

The following parties are represented following the March 2021 election:

Parliamentary factions[]

The table below lists the parliamentary factions represented in the 24th Knesset.

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
• Bible Bloc
• Brit Olam
• Da'am Workers Party, Organization for Democratic Action
• Derekh Eretz
• Dor
• Eretz Hadasha
• HaYisraelim
• Ihud Bnei HaBrit (United Allies)
• The Jewish Home
• 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-Monarchist Party of Israel
• Meimad (held seats between 1999 and 2009 as part of One Israel alliance)
• New Horizon
• Or
• Piratim-The Pirate Party of Israel
• Rappeh, a new Israeli political party, against forced lockdowns, no coercion to vaccinate, and a return of human and personal medical rights for everyone.^[4]
• Shavim (Community) - Founded in 2018 as an LGBT party
• The Greens
• Telem^[5]
• 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 ^[6]
• Yachad
• Yisrael Hazaka
• Yisrael HaMithadeshet
• Zehut

Former parties[]

Parties formerly represented in the Knesset[]

Parties that failed to win seats in the Knesset[]

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[]

See also[]

• Politics of Israel
• List of political parties by country
• Liberalism in Israel
• Labor Zionism
• Revisionist Zionism

References[]

External links[]

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