National List
Encyclopedia
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.
after his former party, Rafi, had merged into the Alignment
against his wishes.
The new party won four seats in the seventh Knesset, and Ben Gurion was joined in the Knesset
by Meir Avizohar, Isser Harel
and Yigal Hurvitz
. During the session Avizohar defected to the Alignment, leaving the party with three seats. Ben-Gurion resigned from the Knesset in 1970, and was replaced by Zalman Shoval
.
Without Ben Gurion's leadership, the party began to disintegrate. Before the 1973 elections
it joined the Likud
alliance formed by Herut
, the Liberal Party
(which had formerly been allied as Gahal
), Free Centre
and the Movement for Greater Israel
. The new alliance won 39 seats, with Hurvitz and Shoval being elected to the Knesset
on its list. In 1976 the National List merged with the Movement for Greater Israel and the Independent Centre
(a breakaway from the Free Centre) to form the La'am
faction within Likud, and ceased to exist as an independent entity.
after Hurvitz, Shoval and Yitzhak Peretz
had left Likud to create Rafi – National List
on 26 January 1981. On 19 May Shoval and Hurvitz left to establish Telem
with Moshe Dayan
, whilst Peretz renamed the party Rafi, before rejoining Likud on 27 May.Peretz then broke away from the other two to recreate the National List. However, the reconstituted party only lasted for 12 days as Peretz rejoined Likud.
In 1983 Hurvitz broke away from Telem to establish Rafi - National List, which he later renamed Ometz
.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Despite being founded by 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...
, one of the fathers of the Israeli left, the party is an ancestor 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...
, Israel's largest right-wing bloc.
Background
The National List had been formed by Ben-Gurion prior to the 1969 electionsIsraeli 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...
after his former party, Rafi, had merged into the Alignment
Alignment (political party)
The Alignment was an alliance of the major left-wing parties in Israel between the 1960s and 1990s. It was established in 1965 as an alliance of Mapai and Ahdut HaAvoda but was dissolved three years later when the two parties and Rafi formally merged into the Israeli Labor Party...
against his wishes.
The new party won four seats in the seventh Knesset, and Ben Gurion was joined in 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...
by Meir Avizohar, Isser Harel
Isser Harel
Isser Harel was spymaster of the intelligence and the security services of Israel and the Director of the Mossad . In his capacity as Mossad director he oversaw the abduction, and secret transport to Israel, of Holocaust organizer Adolph Eichmann....
and Yigal Hurvitz
Yigal Hurvitz
Yigal Hurvitz was an Israeli politician who served as a government minister in the late 1970s and 1980s.-Biography:Hurvitz was born in Nahlat Yehuda in 1918. Between 1938 and 1941 he was a member of the secretariat of HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed, and served in the Jewish Brigade during World War II...
. During the session Avizohar defected to the Alignment, leaving the party with three seats. Ben-Gurion resigned from the Knesset in 1970, and was replaced by Zalman Shoval
Zalman Shoval
Zalman Shoval is an Israeli politician and diplomat.He was the Israeli ambassador to the United States in the years 1990-1993 and 1998–2000, and an active member of the Knesset in the Rafi party of Ben Gurion, the Statal List, and the Likud party.-Biography:...
.
Without Ben Gurion's leadership, the party began to disintegrate. Before 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...
it joined 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...
alliance formed by 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:...
, the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (Israel)
The Israeli Liberal Party was a political party in Israel and is one of the ancestors of the modern-day Likud.-History:The Liberal Party was formed on 8 May 1961, towards the end of the fourth Knesset, by a merger of the General Zionists and the Progressive Party, with the new party having 14...
(which had formerly been allied as 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:...
), 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...
and the 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....
. The new alliance won 39 seats, with Hurvitz and Shoval being elected to 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...
on its list. In 1976 the National List merged with the Movement for Greater Israel and the Independent Centre
Independent Centre
-History:The faction was established by Eliezer Shostak and Ehud Olmert in 1974 when they broke away from the Free Centre, a member of the Likud alliance. The new faction remained part of Likud....
(a breakaway from the Free Centre) to form the La'am
La'am
La'am was a political faction in Israel that formed part of Likud between 1976 and 1984.-History:Between its formation in 1973 and formal merger in 1988, Likud consisted of an alliance of several right wing parties. The two largest blocs were Herut and the Liberal Party, which had formed the Gahal...
faction within Likud, and ceased to exist as an independent entity.
Reformation
The party was briefly reformed during the ninth KnessetIsraeli 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...
after Hurvitz, Shoval and Yitzhak Peretz
Yitzhak Peretz (politician born 1936)
Yitzhak Peretz was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset between 1974 and 1988.-Biography:Born in Casablanca in Morocco in 1936, Peretz made aliyah to Israel in 1950. He attended the Mikveh Yisrael agricultural high school, and later Bar-Ilan University. In 1956 he joined...
had left Likud to create Rafi – National List
Ometz (political party)
Ometz , originally Rafi – National List , then the National List was a small right-wing political party in Israel, which existed briefly in 1981, and then from 1983 until 1987...
on 26 January 1981. On 19 May Shoval and Hurvitz left to establish Telem
Telem (political party)
Telem , lit. Movement for National Renewal) was a political party in Israel.-Background:Telem was formed on 19 May 1981 during the ninth Knesset by Moshe Dayan and two ex-Likud MKs. Dayan had been elected to the Knesset as an MK for the Alignment, which had lost the election for the first time in...
with Moshe Dayan
Moshe Dayan
Moshe Dayan was an Israeli military leader and politician. The fourth Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces , he became a fighting symbol to the world of the new State of Israel...
, whilst Peretz renamed the party Rafi, before rejoining Likud on 27 May.Peretz then broke away from the other two to recreate the National List. However, the reconstituted party only lasted for 12 days as Peretz rejoined Likud.
In 1983 Hurvitz broke away from Telem to establish Rafi - National List, which he later renamed Ometz
Ometz (political party)
Ometz , originally Rafi – National List , then the National List was a small right-wing political party in Israel, which existed briefly in 1981, and then from 1983 until 1987...
.
External links
- National List Knesset website