Cambridge Encyclopedia :: Cambridge Encyclopedia Vol. 44

Knesset

The Israeli parliament and state legislature. It is a unicameral body of 120 members elected under a system of proportional representation. Its term of office is four years, and the country's president is elected by the Knesset for five years. All citizens of 18 and over are entitled to vote.

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Latest election

[discuss] – [edit]
Summary of the 28 March 2006 Knesset of Israel election results
Parties Votes % Seats +/-
Kadima (Forward) 690,901 22.02% 29 new
Ha-Avoda (Labour) 472,366 15.06% 19 -2
Shas (Mifleget Ha-Sfaradim Shomrei Torah, Sephardi Religious Party) 299,054 9.53% 12 +1
Likud (Consolidation) 281,996 8.989% 12 -15
Yisrael Beytenu (Our Home Israel) 281,880 8.985% 11 +8
National Union - National Religious Party National Union (Ha-Ihud Ha-Leumi) Moledet (Homeland) Tkuma (Revival) Renewed Religious National Zionist party (Tziyonut Datit Le'umit Mitchadeshet) National Religious Party (Miflaga Datit Le'umit or Mafdal) 224,083 7.14% 9 -1
Gil - Gimla'ey Israel LaKnesset (Age - Pensioners of Israel to the Knesset) 185,759 5.92% 7 new
United Torah Judaism (Yahadut Ha-Torah also Achdut HaTorah HaMeuchedet) Agudat Israel (Union of Israel) Degel HaTorah (Banner [of] the Torah) 147,091 4.69% 6 +1
Meretz-Yachad (Vigor-Together) 118,302 3.77% 5 -1
Ra'am-Ta'al (Reshima Aravit Me'uchedet, United Arab List - Arab Movement for Renewal) 94,786 3.02% 4 +2
Hadash (Ha-Chazit Ha-Demokratit le-Shalom ule-shivyon, Democratic Front for Peace and Equality) 86,092 2.74% 3 0
Balad (Brit Leumit Demokratit or National Democratic Assembly) 72,066 2.30% 3 0
HaYeruqim (The Greens, environmentalist party) 47,595 1.52% 0 0
Ale Yarok (Green Leaf, cannabis legalization party) 40,353 1.29% 0 0
Hazit Yehudit Le'umit (National Jewish Front) 24,824 0.79% 0 0
Tafnit (Turnaround) 18,753 0.60% 0 0
Hetz (Arrow) 10,113 0.33% 0 new
Shinui (Change) 4,675 0.16% 0 -15
Other parties 36,375 1.16% 0 0
Total 3,137,064 100% 120  

Composition of the 12th Knesset (elected 1988)

Likud 40 Labor Alignment 39 Shas 6 Agudat Yisrael 5 Ratz 5 National Religious Party 4 Hadash 4 Tehiya 3 Mapam (having left the Labor Alignment) 3 Tsomet 2 Moledet 2 Shinui 2 Degel Hatorah 2 Progressive List for Peace 1 Arab Democratic Party 1

Composition of the 13th Knesset (elected 1992)

Labor 44 Likud 32 Meretz (includes Mapam, Shinui and Ratz) 12 Tsomet 8 National Religious Party 6 Shas 6 Yahadut Hatorah 4 Hadash 3 Moledet 3 Arab Democratic Party 2

Composition of the 14th Knesset (elected 1996)

Labor 34 Likud-Gesher-Tsomet 32 Shas 10 National Religious Party 9 Meretz 9 Yisrael Ba`aliyah 7 Hadash 5 Yahadut Hatorah 4 The Third Way 4 United Arab List 4 Moledet 2

Composition of the 15th Knesset (elected 1999)

One Israel (Labor) 26 Likud 19 Shas 17 Meretz 10 Yisrael Ba`aliyah 6 Shinui 6 The Center Party 6 National Religious Party 5 United Torah Judaism 5 United Arab List 5 National Union 4 Hadash 3 Yisrael Beiteinu 4 National Democratic Alliance (Balad) 2 One Nation - for Israeli Workers and Pensioners (Am Ekhad) 2

Composition of the 16th Knesset (elected 2003)

[discuss] – [edit]
Summary of the 28 January 2003 Israeli Knesset Israeli election results
Party Ideology Votes % Seats
Likud ליכוד ("Consolidation") Conservatism 925,279 29.39% 38
Labour העבודה (Ha-Avoda) Social Democracy 455,183 14.46% 19
Shinui שינוי ("Change") Liberalism 386,535 12.28% 15
Mifleget Ha-Sfaradim Shomrei Torah מפלגת הספרדים שומרי תורה ("Sephardi Religious Party", "Shas") Jewish/Sectarian Democracy 258,879 8.22% 11
National Union האיחוד הלאומי (Ha-Ihud Ha-Leumi) Moledet מולדת ("Homeland") Tkuma תקומה ("Revival") Yisrael Beytenu ישראל ביתנו ("Our Home Israel") Right-wing 173,973 5.52% 7
Meretz מרצ ("Vigor") "Left"/Zionist 164,122 5.21% 6
National Religious Party מפלגה דתית לאומית-מפד"ל (Miflaga Datit Le'umit or Mafdal) Sectarian Zionism 132,370 4.20% 6
United Torah Judaism יהדות התורה (Yahadut Ha-Torah also Achdut HaTorah HaMeuchedet) Agudat Israel אגודת ישראל ("Union of Israel") Degel HaTorah דגל התורה ("Banner [of] the Torah") Union of Religious Factions 135,087 4.29% 5
Ha-Chazit Ha-Demokratit le-Shalom ule-shivyon החזית הדמוקרטית לשלום ולשוויון ("Democratic Front for Peace and Equality") Left-wing/Anti-zionist 93,819 2.98% 3
Am Ehad עם אחד ("One Nation") Socialism 86,808 2.76% 3
Brit Leumit Demokratit ברית לאומית דמוקרטית al-Tajamu' al-Watani al-Dimuqrati) ("National Democratic League") Arab/Secular Democratic 71,299 2.26% 3
Israel Ba-Aliya ישראל בעלייה immigration/Secular Democratic 67,719 2.15% 2
United Arab List רשימה ערבית מאוחדת-רע"ם (Reshima Aravit Me'uchedet or Ra'am) Israeli Arab 65,551 2.08% 2
Others N/A 128,740 4.09% 0
Total 3,145,364 100% 120

In November 2005, Amir Peretz was elected as leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon established the centrist Kadima Party, which quickly drew support from moderate MKs across the Knesset.

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