The Democratic Movement was a short-lived political party in Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

 formed in the aftermath of the spectacular breakup of Dash

Democratic Movement for Change

The Democratic Movement for Change , commonly known by its Hebrew acronym Dash was a short-lived and initially highly-successful centrist political party in Israel...

. Founded in 1978, it lasted only until 1981.

Background

The party was formed on 14 September 1978 when Dash split into three new parties just sixteen months after having come third in the 1977 elections

Israeli legislative election, 1977

The Elections for the ninth Knesset were held on 17 May 1977. For the first time in Israeli political history, the right-wing, led by Likud, won the election, ending almost 30 years of rule by the left-wing Alignment and its predecessor, Mapai...

. Seven MKs, including Dash leader Yigael Yadin

Yigael Yadin

Yigael Yadin on 21 March 1917, died 28 June 1984) was an Israeli archeologist, politician, and the second Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces.-Early life and military career:...

, founded the Democratic Movement, seven created Shinui

Shinui

Shinui is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical free market liberal party and political movement in Israel. The party twice became the third largest in the Knesset, but both occasions were followed by a split and collapse; in 1977 the party won 15 seats as part of the Democratic Movement for...

 (Change) and one set up Ya'ad

Ya'ad (political party)

Ya'ad was a short-lived, one-man political party in Israel. It is not related to the other political party of the same name, Ya'ad – Civil Rights Movement.-Background:...

.

Unlike Shinui, which pulled out, the new party remained part of Menachem Begin

Menachem Begin

' was a politician, founder of Likud and the sixth Prime Minister of the State of Israel. Before independence, he was the leader of the Zionist militant group Irgun, the Revisionist breakaway from the larger Jewish paramilitary organization Haganah. He proclaimed a revolt, on 1 February 1944,...

's coalition government, with Yadin as deputy Prime Minister and Shmuel Tamir

Shmuel Tamir

Shmuel M. Tamir was a prominent Israeli independence fighter, lawyer, Knesset member from 1965 to 1980, and Minister of Justice in the government of Menachem Begin from 1977 until 1980-Irgun:...

 as Minister of Justice.

However, like its predecessor, the Democratic Movement also broke up. In 1980 four MKs left the party; Mordechai Elgrably

Mordechai Elgrably

Mordechai Elgrably is an Israeli former politician who served as a member of the Knesset for several parties between 1977 and 1981.-Biography:Born in Meknes in Morocco, Elgrably received a religious education and was a member of the scout movement...

 left on 5 February to sit as an independent MK (he later helped form the Unity Party

Unity Party (Israel)

The Unity Party , officially the Unity Party for the Advancement and Education of the Society in Israel and originally known as Equality in Israel – Panthers was a short-lived political party in...

), on 8 July Shafik Asaad

Shafik Asaad

Shafik Assad was an Israeli Arab politician who served as a member of the Knesset for the Democratic Movement for Change, the Democratic Movement, Ahva and Telem between 1977 and 1981.-Biography:...

 and Shlomo Eliyahu

Shlomo Eliyahu

Shlomo Eliahu is an Israeli businessman and former politician who served as a member of the Knesset between 1978 and 1981.-Biography:Born in Baghdad in 1936, Eliahu made aliyah to Israel in 1950 with his parents and eight siblings. After initially being based in a ma'abara at Beit Lid, his family...

 left to form Ahva

Ahva (political party)

Ahva was a short-lived political party in Israel, one of several spinoffs created by the collapse of Dash.-Background:Ahva was formed on 8 July 1980 when two MKs broke away from the Democratic Movement, itself a relatively new party, having been formed in 1978 when Dash split up...

 (which also split before the next elections

Israeli legislative election, 1981

Elections for the tenth Knesset were held in Israel on 30 June 1981. Despite last minute polls suggesting a victory for Shimon Peres's Alignment, Menachem Begin's Likud won by just one seat...

), whilst Akiva Nof

Akiva Nof

Akiva Nof is a former Israeli politician and song-writer, who served as a member of the Knesset for five parties between 1974 and 1984.-Biography:...

 left on 17 September, also to join Ahva. The party was officially dissolved on 10 March 1981, with its remaining members, Tamir, Yadin and Binyamin Halevi, sitting out the remainder of the Knesset session as independents.

List of Knesset members

Name	Years in office	Government roles	Other roles	Notes
Shafik Assad	1978–1980			Left party to join Ahva
Shlomo Eliyahu Shlomo Eliyahu Shlomo Eliahu is an Israeli businessman and former politician who served as a member of the Knesset between 1978 and 1981.-Biography:Born in Baghdad in 1936, Eliahu made aliyah to Israel in 1950 with his parents and eight siblings. After initially being based in a ma'abara at Beit Lid, his family...	1978–1980			Left party to join Ahva
Mordechai Elgrably Mordechai Elgrably Mordechai Elgrably is an Israeli former politician who served as a member of the Knesset for several parties between 1977 and 1981.-Biography:Born in Meknes in Morocco, Elgrably received a religious education and was a member of the scout movement...	1978–1980			Left party to sit as an independent
Binyamin Halevi	1978–1981
Akiva Nof Akiva Nof Akiva Nof is a former Israeli politician and song-writer, who served as a member of the Knesset for five parties between 1974 and 1984.-Biography:...	1978–1980			Left party to join Ahva
Shmuel Tamir Shmuel Tamir Shmuel M. Tamir was a prominent Israeli independence fighter, lawyer, Knesset member from 1965 to 1980, and Minister of Justice in the government of Menachem Begin from 1977 until 1980-Irgun:...	1978–1981	Minister of Justice Justice Minister of Israel The Justice Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Justice and a position in the Israeli cabinet. The current minister is Ya'akov Ne'eman, an independent who is not a member of the Knesset....
Yigael Yadin Yigael Yadin Yigael Yadin on 21 March 1917, died 28 June 1984) was an Israeli archeologist, politician, and the second Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces.-Early life and military career:...	1978–1981	Deputy Prime Minister	Party leader

External links

• Party history Knesset website