Maki (historical political party)
Encyclopedia
Maki was a communist
political party in Israel
. It is not the same party as the modern day Maki, which split from it during the 1960s and later assumed its name.
(PCP), which changed its name to MAKEI (the Communist Party of Eretz Yisrael) after endorsing partition in 1947, and then to Maki. Members of the National Liberation League, an Arab party that had split off from the PCP in 1944, rejoined Maki in October 1948, giving the party both Jewish and Israeli Arab members, whilst the Hebrew Communists
also joined the party. It also took over publication of two communist newspapers, Kol HaAm
(Hebrew) and Al-Ittihad
(Arabic). The party was not Zionist
, but recognized Israel, though it denied the link between the state and the Jewish diaspora
and asserted the right of Palestinians to form a state in accordance with the United Nations
resolution on partition.
In the first Knesset elections
in 1949 the party won 3.5% of the vote and four seats, which were taken by Shmuel Mikunis
, Eliezer Preminger
, Tawfik Toubi
and Meir Vilner
. During the session, Preminger left the party and re-established the Hebrew Communists
before joining Mapam
.
In the 1951 elections
Maki won 4% of the vote and five seats, with Emil Habibi and Esther Vilenska
entering the Knesset
. During the session, the Prague Trials of 1952 caused the pro-Soviet Labour Zionist party Mapam
to break with the Soviet Union
. Unhappy at the decision, Mapam members Avraham Berman and Moshe Sneh
left Mapam and set up the Left Faction
before joining Maki. The party was also involved in the fall of the Moshe Sharett
's fifth government, when it and Herut
brought a motion of no-confidence over the government's position on the trial of Malkiel Gruenwald, who had accused Dr. Israel Kasztner
of collaborating with the Nazis.
In the 1955 elections
, Maki's share of the vote increased again as it claimed six seats in the Knesset. In 1958 it launched a Polish-language newspaper, Walka
. However, the 1959 election
saw the party perform poorly, winning only three seats.
The 1961 election
campaign was helped by the ruling coalition's involvement in the Lavon Affair
and the party gained five seats. However, in 1965 internal disagreements saw a split between a largely Jewish group led by Sneh which recognized Israel's right to existence and were critical of the Soviet Union's increasingly anti-Israel stance, and a largely Israeli Arab group which was increasingly anti-Zionist. Sneh's faction retained the name Maki while the pro-Palestinian faction (Tawfik Toubi and Meir Vilner) left to form Rakah, which the Soviet Union
recognised as the "official" Communist Party. It was reported in the Soviet media that the Mikunis-Sneh group defected to the bourgois-nationalist camp.
The 1965 elections
were a disaster, as the party retained only one seat, and was comprehensively beaten by Rakah who gained three seats. The party repeated its poor performance in the 1969 elections
despite its support for the Six-Day War
.
In 1973 Maki merged with the Blue-Red movement to form Moked
, and subsequently disappeared as an independent party. Moked won one seat in the 1973 elections
. Later it became part of Left Camp of Israel
(in 1977), then Ratz (in 1981).
In the meantime, Rakah had become the leading force in the Hadash
alliance, which it joined in 1977. In 1989, several years after Maki's demise, Rakah decided to change their name and take up the now unclaimed name Maki, to reflect their status as the only officially communist party in Israel. Party leaders asserted at the time that their party, rather than the rival faction which merged among the forces of the Zionist Left, had the better claim upon the historic heritage of what the name stood for in the 1950's and early 1960's.
Maki remains the leading force in Hadash to this day. For its later history, see Maki (current political party).
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
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...
. It is not the same party as the modern day Maki, which split from it during the 1960s and later assumed its name.
History
Maki was a descendant of the Palestine Communist PartyPalestine Communist Party
The Palestine Communist Party was a political party in British Mandate of Palestine formed in 1923 through the merger of the Palestinian Communist Party and the Communist Party of Palestine...
(PCP), which changed its name to MAKEI (the Communist Party of Eretz Yisrael) after endorsing partition in 1947, and then to Maki. Members of the National Liberation League, an Arab party that had split off from the PCP in 1944, rejoined Maki in October 1948, giving the party both Jewish and Israeli Arab members, whilst the Hebrew Communists
Hebrew Communists
The Hebrew Communists were a short-lived political party in Mandate Palestine and Israel. The Hebrew Communists were originally founded in 1945 by some former members of the Palestine Communist Party , which had split in 1943...
also joined the party. It also took over publication of two communist newspapers, Kol HaAm
Kol HaAm
Kol HaAm was a Hebrew language newspaper in Mandate Palestine and Israel, owned by the Israeli Communist Party.-History:Established in 1937, the paper appointed Communist Party member Esther Vilenska editor in 1943, and chief editor in 1947...
(Hebrew) and Al-Ittihad
Al-Ittihad (Israeli newspaper)
Al-Ittihad is an Israeli Arabic language daily newspaper based in Haifa. Once considered the most important Arab media outlet in Israel, it is owned by Maki, the Israeli Communist Party, and was edited by a former Maki/Hadash Knesset member, Ahmad Sa'd until his death on 20 April 2010.-History:The...
(Arabic). The party was not Zionist
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
, but recognized Israel, though it denied the link between the state and the Jewish diaspora
Jewish diaspora
The Jewish diaspora is the English term used to describe the Galut גלות , or 'exile', of the Jews from the region of the Kingdom of Judah and Roman Iudaea and later emigration from wider Eretz Israel....
and asserted the right of Palestinians to form a state in accordance with the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
resolution on partition.
In the first Knesset elections
Israeli legislative election, 1949
Elections for the Constituent Assembly were held in newly independent Israel on 25 January 1949. Voter turnout was 86.9%. Two days after its first meeting on 14 February 1949, legislators voted to change the name of the body to the Knesset...
in 1949 the party won 3.5% of the vote and four seats, which were taken by Shmuel Mikunis
Shmuel Mikunis
Shmuel Mikunis was an communist Israeli politician and member of the Knesset from 1949 until 1973.-Biography:Born in the Russian Empire in what today is Ukraine, Mikunis immigrated to Mandate Palestine in 1921...
, Eliezer Preminger
Eliezer Preminger
Eliezer Preminger was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Maki, the Hebrew Communists and Mapam between 1949 and 1951.-Biography:...
, Tawfik Toubi
Tawfik Toubi
-Biography:Toubi was born in Haifa to an Arab Orthodox family in 1922, and was educated at the Mount Zion School in Jerusalem. He joined the Palestine Communist Party in 1941 and later was one of the founders of the League for National Liberation, which originally opposed partition of Palestine but...
and Meir Vilner
Meir Vilner
Meir Vilner was an Israeli communist politician and Jewish leader of the Communist Party of Israel , which consisted primarily of Israeli Arabs...
. During the session, Preminger left the party and re-established the Hebrew Communists
Hebrew Communists
The Hebrew Communists were a short-lived political party in Mandate Palestine and Israel. The Hebrew Communists were originally founded in 1945 by some former members of the Palestine Communist Party , which had split in 1943...
before joining Mapam
Mapam
Mapam was a political party in Israel and is one of the ancestors of the modern-day Meretz party.-History:Mapam was formed by a January 1948 merger of the Hashomer Hatzair Workers Party and Ahdut HaAvoda Poale Zion Movement. The party was originally Marxist-Zionist in its outlook and represented...
.
In the 1951 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1951
Elections for the second Knesset were held in Israel on 30 July 1951. Voter turnout was 75.1%.-Results:¹ Rostam Bastuni, Avraham Berman and Moshe Sneh left Mapam and set up the Left Faction. Bastuni later returned to Mapam whilst Berman and Sneh joined Maki. Hannah Lamdan and David Livschitz left...
Maki won 4% of the vote and five seats, with Emil Habibi and Esther Vilenska
Esther Vilenska
Esther Vilenska was an Israeli communist politician, journalist and author who served as a member of the Knesset for Maki between 1951 and 1959 and then again from 1961 to 1965.-Biography:...
entering the 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...
. During the session, the Prague Trials of 1952 caused the pro-Soviet Labour Zionist party Mapam
Mapam
Mapam was a political party in Israel and is one of the ancestors of the modern-day Meretz party.-History:Mapam was formed by a January 1948 merger of the Hashomer Hatzair Workers Party and Ahdut HaAvoda Poale Zion Movement. The party was originally Marxist-Zionist in its outlook and represented...
to break with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Unhappy at the decision, Mapam members Avraham Berman and Moshe Sneh
Moshe Sneh
Moshe Sneh was an Israeli politician and military figure. One of the founders of Mapam, he later joined the Israeli Communist Party , and was one of the leaders of a more pro-Israeli split in 1965.-Biography:...
left Mapam and set up the Left Faction
Left Faction
The Left Faction was a short-lived political party in Israel.-History:The Left Faction was formed on 20 February 1952 as a breakaway from Mapam in the aftermath of the Prague Trials...
before joining Maki. The party was also involved in the fall of the Moshe Sharett
Moshe Sharett
Moshe Sharett on 15 October 1894, died 7 July 1965) was the second Prime Minister of Israel , serving for a little under two years between David Ben-Gurion's two terms.-Early life:...
's fifth government, when it 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 over the government's position on the trial of Malkiel Gruenwald, who had accused Dr. Israel Kasztner
Rudolf Kastner
Rudolf Israel Kastner was a Jewish-Hungarian journalist and lawyer who became known for facilitating the departure of Jews out of Nazi-occupied Hungary during the Holocaust...
of collaborating with the Nazis.
In the 1955 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1955
Elections for the third Knesset were held in Israel on 26 July 1955. Voter turnout was 82.8%.-Results:Mapai retained its plurality in the Knesset, although its share of the vote dropped by 5.1 and its share of seats dropped from 47 to 40...
, Maki's share of the vote increased again as it claimed six seats in the Knesset. In 1958 it launched a Polish-language newspaper, Walka
Walka
Walka was a Polish-language newspaper published from Tel Aviv by the Communist Party of Israel 1958-1965. Its editor-in-chief was Adolf Berman. Whilst other Communist Party weeklies experienced a gradual decline in readership after 1956, Walka had a moderate growth as a result of the wave of...
. However, the 1959 election
Israeli 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....
saw the party perform poorly, winning only three seats.
The 1961 election
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...
campaign was helped by the ruling coalition's involvement in 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...
and the party gained five seats. However, in 1965 internal disagreements saw a split between a largely Jewish group led by Sneh which recognized Israel's right to existence and were critical of the Soviet Union's increasingly anti-Israel stance, and a largely Israeli Arab group which was increasingly anti-Zionist. Sneh's faction retained the name Maki while the pro-Palestinian faction (Tawfik Toubi and Meir Vilner) left to form Rakah, which the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
recognised as the "official" Communist Party. It was reported in the Soviet media that the Mikunis-Sneh group defected to the bourgois-nationalist camp.
The 1965 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1965
Elections for the sixth Knesset were held in Israel on 1 November 1965. Voter turnout was 85.9%.-Background:Prior to the elections, two major alliances were formed; Mapai and Ahdut HaAvoda united to form the Alignment, whilst Herut and the Liberal Party had formed the Gahal alliance towards the end...
were a disaster, as the party retained only one seat, and was comprehensively beaten by Rakah who gained three seats. The party repeated its poor performance in the 1969 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1969
Elections for the seventh Knesset were held in Israel on 28 October 1969. Voter turnout was 81.7%.-Results:¹ Meir Avizohar defected from the National List to the Alignment² Avner Shaki left the National Religious Party and remained a single MK...
despite its support for the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
.
In 1973 Maki merged with the Blue-Red movement to form Moked
Moked
Moked was a left-wing political party in Israel.-Background:Moked came into existence during the seventh Knesset, when Maki merged with the Blue-Red Movement, which was unrepresented....
, and subsequently disappeared as an independent party. Moked won one seat in 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...
. Later it became part of Left Camp of Israel
Left Camp of Israel
The Left Camp of Israel was a left-wing political party in Israel. It was also known as Sheli , an acronym for Peace for Israel .-Background:...
(in 1977), then Ratz (in 1981).
In the meantime, Rakah had become the leading force in the Hadash
Hadash
Hadash is a Jewish and Arab socialist front of organizations that runs for the Israeli parliament. It currently has four members in the 120-seat Knesset.-Background:...
alliance, which it joined in 1977. In 1989, several years after Maki's demise, Rakah decided to change their name and take up the now unclaimed name Maki, to reflect their status as the only officially communist party in Israel. Party leaders asserted at the time that their party, rather than the rival faction which merged among the forces of the Zionist Left, had the better claim upon the historic heritage of what the name stood for in the 1950's and early 1960's.
Maki remains the leading force in Hadash to this day. For its later history, see Maki (current political party).
External links
- Maki Knesset website
- Communism in Israel by Fayez Sayegh