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 attract greater voter support. The Gahal received the same number of mandates in the 1969 elections as previously and Begin remained a member of the National Unity government until August 1970. He left the Golda Meir/1898-1978/-led cabinet following the endorsement of the peace plan initiated by American Secretary of State, Rogers.13 The reorganisation of the right wing forces was completed in 1973, when the two smaller splinter groups - which left the Herut and the Rafi earlier - rejoined the Herat. The Herat, the Liberal Party, the Free Centre and the Laam united in the Likud Bloc /Union/ and received 40 mandates following the post-war 1973 elections. By contrast to the earlier periods, this became a significant turning point in the history of Israeli politics: the two large political blocs replaced the one party monopoly of power in domestic politics. The Labour Party's gradual loss of influence on these processes benefited the Likud. Likud's victory at the 1977 elections also attracted international attention. The Begin government relinquished the Sinai Peninsula and concluded a peace agreement with Egypt. In order to divert attention from the future of the West Bank, Begin placed the establishment of Jewish settlements - including territories densely populated by Palestinians - on the official political agenda. With respect to the chapters in the Camp David Accords envisaging full autonomy for the Palestinians - in the classical revisionist manner - he agreed to give some consideration to limited Palestinian autonomy. Moreover, Begin insisted that such agreement should be concluded with representatives of West Bank and Gaza Strip Palestinians, with the exclusion of the PLO. The Likud Bloc had achieved the best result ever by gaining 48 mandates at the 1981 elections. Due to the internal strife with respect to war in Lebanon, the Likud coalition lost ground in the 1984 elections and - following Begin's retirement - the Yitzhak Shamir /1915-/-led bloc was forced to accept a national unity government. With the unification of the Herat and the Liberal Party prior to the 1988 elections, the Likud reinforced its parliamentary position with the support of Laam. Following the victory of Likud in 1977, extreme right wing parties gained considerable ground, deepening the cleavage in public opinion. These right wing forces comprise the Bloc of the Faithful /Gush Emunim/, which is widely supported by the American Jewish community. From the middle of the 1970s, the consolidation of right wing power initiated the establishment of settlements in densely populated Palestinian territories. The proponents of the movement stress that not one single inch should be relinquished from the Promised Land, e.g. from the territory encircled by the Euphrates, the Nile, the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern desert. Jewish redemption - commencing with the return to Palestine - will only be accomplished after taking possession of the entire land. The majority of the extreme right movements surfaced in the political arena at the onset of the Camp David Accords and after the peace treaty with Egypt. These include the Renaissance /Tehiya/ or the extreme anti-Arab This Way /Kach/ the Homeland /Modelet/ bloc and the Comet Party /a former constituent of 2003. tavasz 43
