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Liberal Party (Israel)
Encyclopedia
The Israeli Liberal Party was a political party in Israel
and is one of the ancestors of the modern-day Likud
.
, by a merger of the General Zionists
and the Progressive Party
, with the new party having 14 Knesset
seats. Early elections were called for 1961 after the General Zionists and Herut
brought a motion of no-confidence in the government over the Lavon Affair
. In the 1961 elections
the party won 17 seats, the same number as Herut
, making it the joint-second largest after David Ben-Gurion
's Mapai
.
In 1965 the party held discussions with Menachem Begin
's Herut party over a possible merger. Seven mostly former Progressive Party MKs led by Pinchas Rosen
broke away in protest to form the Independent Liberals
on 16 March 1965. On 25 May 1965 the party merged with Herut, to form Gahal
, a Hebrew acronym for Herut-Liberals Bloc (Hebrew: גוש חרות-ליברלים, Gush Herut-Libralim), though the two parties continued to function as independent factions within the alliance.
The formation of Gahal was a major turning point in Israeli politics, as for the first time a party could challenge Mapai's hegemony. By the end of the Knesset session Gahal had 27 seats, only seven less than Mapai's 34 (reduced from 42 after eight MKs, led by Ben-Gurion, had broken away to form Rafi).
Prior to the 1973 elections
, Gahal merged with a number of small right-wing parties including the Free Centre
(a breakaway from Gahal), the National List
and the non-parliamentary Movement for Greater Israel
to form the Likud
party. The new party made history when it removed the left-wing from power by winning the 1977 elections
. The Liberal Party finally ceased to exist in 1988 when Likud became a unitary party.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and is one of the ancestors of the modern-day Likud
Likud
Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...
.
History
The Liberal Party was formed on 8 May 1961, towards the end of the fourth KnessetIsraeli legislative election, 1959
Elections for the fourth Knesset were held in Israel on 3 November 1959. Voter turnout was 81.5%.-Results:¹ The General Zionists and the Progressive Party merged to form the Liberal Party....
, by a merger of the General Zionists
General Zionists
The General Zionists were centrists within the Zionist movement and a political party in Israel. Their political arm is an ancestor of the modern-day Likud.-History:...
and the Progressive Party
Progressive Party (Israel)
The Progressive Party was a political party in Israel.-History:The Progressive Party was a liberal party, most of whose founders came from the ranks of the New Aliyah Party and HaOved HaTzioni, which had been active prior to independence...
, with the new party having 14 Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
seats. Early elections were called for 1961 after the General Zionists and Herut
Herut
Herut was the major right-wing political party in Israel from the 1940s until its formal merger into Likud in 1988, and an adherent of Revisionist Zionism.-History:...
brought a motion of no-confidence in the government over the Lavon Affair
Lavon Affair
The Lavon Affair refers to a failed Israeli covert operation, code named Operation Susannah, conducted in Egypt in the Summer of 1954. As part of the false flag operation, a group of Egyptian Jews were recruited by Israeli military intelligence for plans to plant bombs inside Egyptian, American and...
. In the 1961 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1961
Elections for the fifth Knesset were held in Israel on 15 August 1961. Voter turnout was 81.6%.-Results:¹ Eight MKs broke away from Mapai to establish Rafi² Herut and the Liberal Party merged to form Gahal...
the party won 17 seats, the same number as Herut
Herut
Herut was the major right-wing political party in Israel from the 1940s until its formal merger into Likud in 1988, and an adherent of Revisionist Zionism.-History:...
, making it the joint-second largest after David Ben-Gurion
David Ben-Gurion
' was the first Prime Minister of Israel.Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946...
's Mapai
Mapai
Mapai was a left-wing political party in Israel, and was the dominant force in Israeli politics until its merger into the Israeli Labor Party in 1968...
.
In 1965 the party held discussions with 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 Herut party over a possible merger. Seven mostly former Progressive Party MKs led by Pinchas Rosen
Pinchas Rosen
Pinchas Rosen was an Israeli politician and statesman, and the country's first Minister of Justice, serving three times during 1948-51, 1952–56, and 1958-61. He was also leader of the Independent Liberals during the 1960s.-Biography:...
broke away in protest to form the Independent Liberals
Independent Liberals (Israel)
The Independent Liberals were a political party in Israel between the 1960s and 1980s.-History:The Independent Liberals party was formed during the fifth Knesset in the aftermath of the merger of the Liberal Party and Herut. Seven of the 17 Liberal Party MKs led by former Minister of Justice,...
on 16 March 1965. On 25 May 1965 the party merged with Herut, to form Gahal
Gahal
Gahal , lit. Herut-Liberals Bloc) was the major right-wing political faction in Israel led by Menachem Begin from its founding in 1965 until it merged into Likud in 1973.-Background:...
, a Hebrew acronym for Herut-Liberals Bloc (Hebrew: גוש חרות-ליברלים, Gush Herut-Libralim), though the two parties continued to function as independent factions within the alliance.
The formation of Gahal was a major turning point in Israeli politics, as for the first time a party could challenge Mapai's hegemony. By the end of the Knesset session Gahal had 27 seats, only seven less than Mapai's 34 (reduced from 42 after eight MKs, led by Ben-Gurion, had broken away to form Rafi).
Prior to the 1973 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1973
The Elections for the eighth Knesset were held on 31 December 1973. Voter turnout was 78.6%.-Results:1 Aryeh Eliav left the Alignment and merged with Ratz to form Ya'ad - Civil Rights Movement...
, Gahal merged with a number of small right-wing parties including the Free Centre
Free Centre
The Free Centre was a political party in Israel, and is one of the ancestors of the modern-day Likud.-Background:The party was created on 29 March 1967 during the sixth Knesset when Shmuel Tamir led a breakaway of three Herut members after a leadership dispute with Menachem Begin...
(a breakaway from Gahal), the National List
National List
The National List , sometimes translated as the State List, was a political party in Israel. Despite being founded by David Ben-Gurion, one of the fathers of the Israeli left, the party is an ancestor of the modern-day Likud, Israel's largest right-wing bloc.-Background:The National List had been...
and the non-parliamentary Movement for Greater Israel
Movement for Greater Israel
The Movement for Greater Israel was a political organisation in Israel during the 1960s and 1970s which subscribed to an ideology of Greater Israel....
to form the Likud
Likud
Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...
party. The new party made history when it removed the left-wing from power by winning 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...
. The Liberal Party finally ceased to exist in 1988 when Likud became a unitary party.
External links
- Party history Knesset website