Külügyi Szemle - A Teleki László Intézet Külpolitikai Tanulmányok Központja folyóirata - 2003 (2. évfolyam)

2003 / 1. szám - KÖZEL-KELET - Gazdik Gyula: The evolution of the Israeli party system

The evolution of the Israeli party system

Left wing parties

Although left-oriented parties went through several phases of change, they remained influential factors on the political scene following the establishment of the Israeli State:6

Number of Mandates

Zionist

Election Year

Parties

1949

1951

1955

1959

1961

1965

1969 1973

1977

1981

1984

1988

1992

1996

1999

Workers Party/ Labour Party

46

45

40

47

34

44

34

Maarakh *

63

57 51

32

47

44

39

One Israel*

26

Unity of Labour

10

7

8

Izraeli Labour List

10

United Labour Party

19

15

9

9

8

8

Meretz

12*

10*

10

Communist

Alignments

Maki / Moked

4

5

6

3

5

1

i i

RaKach / Hadash

3

3 4

5

4

4

4

3

5

3

* joint list

From the onset of Jewish immigration to Palestine, the Socialist Zionist bloc comprised the dominant power of the left.7 Founded in 1930 by the leader of the Zionist-oriented first Prime Minister of the State of Israel, David Ben-Gurion (1886— 1973), the Israeli Labour Party /Mapai/, became the most prominent. The party's ideological platform known as constructive socialism subjugated collectivist values to nationalism and national consolidation. Labour Party politics became closely entwined with the Trade Union Confederation, established in 1920, the General Hebrew Labour Association and the settlers' movements. The offensive strategy of Ben-Gurion played an important role in the establishment of the Israeli State in May 1948. As a result of the successful conclusion of the first Arab-Israeli conflict and the subsequent mass influx of immigrants, the popular influence of Mapai gathered momentum. However, this process was not without pitfalls, since - even during the progress of the war - the party leadership had been confronted with growing intra-party dissent. One of the founding associations of the Unity of Labour /Ahdut HaAvoda/ - with a large camp of settler support - seceded from the party in 1944 and joined the popular Young Guard /Hasomer Hacayir/ bloc to establish the United Workers' Party /Mapam/ in 1948. Even with a more radical programme than that of the centre-left Mapai platform - entailing a combination of Marxist-Leninist doctrines and fundamental Zionist values - the bloc never threatened the parliamentary position of the Workers' Party.

2003. tavasz

37