The first legislative election was held in Israel on January 25, 1949, with a voter turnout of 86.9%. Mapai, led by David Ben-Gurion, won the most votes (35.7%) and seats (46). Two days after the election, the Constituent Assembly was renamed the Knesset. Subsequent elections were held in 1951, 1955, 1959, 1961, 1965, 1969, 1973, 1977, and 1981, with the left-wing Alignment and right-wing Likud and their predecessor parties alternating in power over the years.

1. Created by: Benedict Gombocz

2.  First legislative election held
in Israel’s statehood; held in
newly independent Israel on
25 January 1949.
 Voter turnout was 86.9%.
 Two days after the
Constituent Assembly’s first
meeting on 14 February 1949,
legislators voted to change its
name to Knesset , which is
Hebrew for Assembly.
 Known today as First Knesset.
 PM elect was David Ben-
Gurion of Mapai.

3. Party Votes/%/Seats
 Mapai  155,274; 35.7; 46
 Mapam  64,018; 14.7; 19
 United Religious Front  52,982; 12.2; 16
 Herut  49,782; 11.4; 14
 General Zionists  22,661; 5.2; 7
 Progressive Party  17,786; 4.1; 5
 Sephardim and Oriental  15,287; 3.5; 4
Committees
 Maki  15,148; 3.5; 4
 Democratic List of  7,387; 1.7; 2
Nazareth
 Fighters’ List  5,363; 1.2; 1

4.  WIZO  5,173; 1.2; 1
 Yemenite Association  4,399; 1.0; 1

5.  Held in Israel on 30
July 1951.
 Voter turnout was
75.1%.
 Incumbent PM David
Ben-Gurion of Mapai
was re-elected with
37.3% of the vote.

6. Party Party
 Mapai  Mapam
 Votes: 256,456  Votes: 86,095
 %: 37.3  %: 12.5
 Seats: 45  Seats: 15
 +/-: -1  +/-: -4
 General Zionists  Hopoel HaMizrachi
 Votes: 111,394  Votes: 46,347
 %: 16.2  %: 6.8
 Seats: 20  Seats: 8
 +/-: +1
 +/-: +13

7.  Party: Herut
 Votes: 45,651
 %: 6.6
 Seats: 8
 +/-: -6
 Invalid/blank votes
 Votes: : 7,515
 %: -
 Seats: -
 +/-: -
 Total
 Votes: 695,007
 %: 100
 Seats: 120
 +/-: 0

8.  Held in Israel on 26
July 1955.
 Voter turnout was
82.8%.
 PM elect was David
Ben-Gurion of Mapai
with 32.2% of the vote.

9. Party Party
 Mapai  General Zionists
 Votes: 274,735  Votes: 87,099
 %: 32.2  %: 10.2
 Seats: 40  Seats: 13
 +/-: -5  +/-: -7
 Herut  National Religious Front
 Votes: 107,190  Votes: 77,936
 %: 12.2  %: 9.1
 Seats: 15  Seats: 11
 +/-: +7  +/-: +1

10.  Party: Ahdut HaAvoda
 Votes: 69,745
 %: 8.2
 Seats: 10
 +/-: New party
 Party: Mapam
 Votes: 62,401
 %: 7.3
 Seats: 9
 +/-: -6
 Invalid/blank votes
 Votes: : 22,969
 %: -
 Seats: -
 +/-: -

11.  Total
 Votes: 876,188
 %: 100
 Seats: 120
 +/-: 0

12.  Held in Israel on 3
November 1959.
 Voter turnout was
81.5%.
 PM elect was David
Ben-Gurion of Mapai
with 38.2% of the vote.

13. Party Party
 Mapai  National Religious Party
 Votes: 370,585  Votes: 95,581
 %: 38.2  %: 9.9
 Seats: 47  Seats: 12
 +/-: +7  +/-: +1
 Herut  Mapam
 Votes: 130,515  Votes: 69,468
 %: 13.5  %: 7.2
 Seats: 17  Seats: 9
 +/-: +2  +/-: 0

14.  Party: General Zionists  Invalid/blank votes
 Votes: 59,700  Votes: 24,967
 %: 6.2  %: -
 Seats: 8  Seats: -
 +/-: -5  +/-: -
 Party: Ahdut HaAvoda  Total
 Votes: 58,043  Votes: 994,306
 %: 6.0  %: 100
 Seats: 7  Seats: 120
 +/-: -3  +/-: 0

15.  Held in Israel on 15
August 1961.
 Voter turnout was
81.6%.
 PM before election was
Levi Eshkol of Mapai;
PM elect was Golda
Meir of Alignment.

16. Party Party
 Mapai  Liberal Party
 Votes: 349,330  Votes: 137,255
 %: 34.7  %: 13.6
 Seats: 42  Seats: 17
 +/-: -5  +/-: +3
 Herut  National Religious Party
 Votes: 138,599  Votes: 98,786
 %: 13.8  %: 9.8
 Seats: 17  Seats: 12
 +/-: 0  +/-: 0

17.  Party: Mapam  Invalid/blank votes
 Votes: 75,654  Votes: 30,066
 %: 7.5  %: -
 Seats: 9  Seats: -
 +/-: 0  +/-: -
 Party: Ahdut HaAvoda  Total
 Votes: 66,170  Votes: 1,037,030
 %: 6.6  %: 100
 Seats: 8  Seats: 120
 +/-: +1  +/-: 0

18.  Held in Israel on 1 November 1965.
 Voter turnout was 85.9%.
 Two major alliances were created prior to elections: one between
Mapai and Ahdut HaAvoda (which united to create the Alignment)
and the other between Herut and Liberal Party creating Gahal
alliance towards end of last Knesset session.
 Both Mapai and Liberal Party had dealt breakaway factions, Ben-
Gurion led Rafi and Independent Liberals (composed largely of ex-
Progressive Party members), respectively.
 Communist Maki also oversaw break earlier in 1965, with most Arab
members and some Jewish members leaving the party to establish a
new party known as Rakah; founded on 1 September 1965, Rakah is
now known as Maki, legal successor/replacement of old Maki.

19. Party Party
 Alignment  National Religious Party
 Votes: 443,379  Votes: 107,966
 %: 36.7  %: 8.9
 Seats: 45  Seats: 11
 +/-: -5  +/-: -1
 Gahal  Rafi
 Votes: 256,957  Votes: 95,328
 %: 21.3  %: 7.9
Seats: 26  Seats: 10
 +/-: -1  +/-: New party

20.  Party: Mapam  Total
 Votes: 79,985  Votes: 1,244,706
 %: 6.6  %: 100
 Seats: 8  Seats: 120
 +/-: -1  +/-: 0
 Invalid/blank votes
 Votes: 37,978
 %: -
 Seats: -
 +/-: -

21.  Held in Israel on 28 October 1969.
 Voter turnout was 81.7%.
 Notable for seeing return of Alignment coalition to power
with largest number of seats ever gained in an Israeli
election (57 of total 120).
 Can be attributed to government’s popularity in the
aftermath of Israel’s victory in Six Day of 1967, and that
Alignment had been established by alliance of four most
popular left-wing parties who between them had gathered
51.2% in previous election.
 Also last election with such a definite majority for left-wing
in Israel, as horrific Yom Kippur War shortly before next
election seriously destroyed Alignment’s legitimacy, with
majority over Gahal lowered to only 12 seats.

22. Party Party
 Alignment  Gahal
 Votes: 632,135  Votes: 296,294
 %: 46.2  %: 21.7
 Seats: 56  Seats: 26
 +/-: -7  +/-: 0

23.  Party: National Religious  Total
Party  Votes: 1,427,981
 Votes: 133,238  %: 100
 %: 9.7  Seats: 120
 Seats: 12  +/-: 0
 +/-: +1
 Invalid/blank votes
 Votes: 60,238
 %: -
 Seats: -
 +/-: -

24.  Held in Israel on 31 December 1973.
 Voter turnout was 78.6%.
 Golda Meir of Alignment established sixteenth government after
the election, on 10 March 1974; this included National Religious
Party and Independent Liberals in coalition, with 22 ministers.
 On 11 April 1974, Meir resigned after Agranat Commission had
released interim report on Yom Kippur War of October 1973.
 Alignment’s Yitzhak Rabin established seventeenth government
on 3 June 1974; this included Ratz, Independent Liberals,
Progress and Development and Arab List for Bedouins and
Villagers.
 New government was composed of 19 ministers; National
Religious Party joined coalition on 30 October, and Ratz left on 6
November, at which time there were 21 ministers.

25. Party Party
 Alignment  Likud
 Votes: 621,183  Votes: 473,309
 %: 39.6  %: 30.2
 Seats: 51  Seats: 39
 +/-: -5  +/-: +7

26.  Party: National Religious  Total
Party  Votes: 1,601,098
 Votes: 130,349  %: 100
 %: 8.3  Seats: 120
 Seats: 10  +/-: 0
 +/-: -2
 Invalid/blank votes
 Votes: 34,243
 %: -
 Seats: -
 +/-: -

27.  Held on 17 May 1977.
 For the first time in Israeli political history, right-wing, under
leadership of Likud, won the election, putting an end to almost
30 years of rule by left-wing Alignment and predecessor, Mapai.
 Dramatic change in Israeli politics made by result led to it being
called “the revolution” (HaMahapakh in Hebrew), a phrase
invented by TV anchor Haim Yavin when he declared election
results live on television with his words “Ladies and gentlemen –
a revolution!” (Gvirotai veRabotai – Mahapakh!).
 Saw advent of an era lasting nearly 20 years in which left- and
right-wing blocs had almost equal amount of seats in Knesset.
 Voter turnout was 79.2%.

28. Party Party
 Likud  Alignment
 Votes: 583,968  Votes: 430,023
 %: 33.4  %: 24.6
 Seats: 43  Seats: 32
 +/-: +4  +/-: -19

29.  Party: Dash  Invalid/blank votes
 Votes: 202,265  Votes: 23,906
 %: 11.6  %: -
 Seats: 15  Seats: -
 +/-: New party  +/-: -
 Party: National Religious  Total
Party  Votes: 1,771,776
 Votes: 160,787  %: 100
 %: 9.2  Seats: 120
 Seats: 12  +/-: 0
 +/-: +2

30.  Held in Israel on 30 June 1981.
 Even though last-minute polls suggested Shimon
Peres’ Alignment would win, Incumbent PM’s
Menachem Begin’s Likud won with one seat.
 Voter turnout was 78.5%.

31. Party Party
 Likud  Alignment
 Votes: 718,941  Votes: 708,536
 %: 37.1  %: 36.6
 Seats: 48  Seats: 47
 +/-: +3  +/-: +15

32.  Invalid/blank votes  Total
 Votes: 17,243  Votes: 1,937,366
 %: -  %: 100
 Seats: -  Seats: 120
 +/-: -  +/-: 0

33.  Held in Israel on 23 July 1984.
 Voter turnout was 78.8%.
 Results saw return of Alignment as largest party in
Knesset, a status lost to rival Likud in 1977.
 Despite its victory, Alignment could not create
government with any smaller parties; this resulted in
national unity government with Likud, with both party
leaders, Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Shamir, holding
position of PM for two years each.

34. Party Party
 Alignment  Likud
 Votes: 724,074  Votes: 661,302
 %: 34.9  %: 31.9
 Seats: 44  Seats: 41
 +/-: -3  +/-: -7

35.  Invalid/blank votes  Total
 Votes: 18,081  Votes: 2,091,402
 %: -  %: 100
 Seats: -  Seats: 120
 +/-: -  +/-: 0

36.  Held in Israel on 1 November 1988.
 Voter turnout was 79.7%.
 By July 1985, Israel’s inflation, supported by complex
index linking of salaries, went up to 480% per annum
and was highest in the world.
 Shimon Peres introduced emergency control over
prices and freezed government expenditure, which
successfully brought inflation under control.
 Currency (known until 1980 as Israeli lira) was
replaced and renamed Israeli new shekel.

37. Party Party
 Likud  Alignment
 Votes: 709,305  Votes: 685,363
 %: 31.1  %: 30.0
 Seats: 40  Seats: 39
 +/-: -1  +/-: -5

38.  Invalid/blank votes  Total
 Votes: 22,444  Votes: 2,305,567
 %: -  %: 100
 Seats: -  Seats: 120
 +/-: -  +/-: -0

39.  Held in Israel on 23 June 1992.
 Result was victory for the left, under leadership of
Yitzhak Rabin’s Labor Party, whose victory was at
least in part due to some small right-wing parties
fell close to not crossing electoral threshold, which
in turn wasted votes for the right.
 Voter turnout was 77.4%.

40. Party Party
 Labor Party  Likud
 Votes: 906,810  Votes: 651,229
 %: 34.7  %: 24.9
 Seats: 44  Seats: 32
 +/-: +5  +/-: -8

41. Party Party
 Meretz  Tzomet
 Votes: 250,667  Votes: 166,366
 %: 9.6  %: 6.4
 Seats: 12  Seats: 8
 +/-: +2  +/-: +6

42.  Party: National Religious  Total
Party  Votes: 2,637,943
 Votes: 129,663 %: 100
 %: 5.0  Seats: 120
 Seats: 6  +/-: 0
 +/-: +1
 Invalid/blank votes
 Votes: 21,102
 %: -
 Seats: -
 +/-: -

43.  Held in Israel on 29 May 1996.
 Included two new changes; both were designed to strengthen
stability of Knesset, provided the Knesset’s incomplete nature.
 PM was to be elected on separate ballot from remaining
members of Knesset; election threshold for securing of a seat
was raised from 1.5% to 2%.
 Ended in surprise victory for Benjamin Netanyahu of Likud with
margin of 29,457 votes, fewer than 1% of total number of cast
votes and a lot smaller than number of votes spoiled.
 Came after original polls predicted win for Shimon Peres,
inspiring the phrase “went to sleep with Peres; woke up with
Netanyahu”.
 Was Peres’ fourth and final election defeat.

44. Party Party
 Labor Party  Likud-Gesher-Tzomet
 Votes: 818,741  Votes: 767,401
 %: 26.8  %: 25.1
 Seats: 34  Seats: 32
 +/-: -10  +/-: -8
 Shas  National Religious Party
 Votes: 259,796  Votes: 240,271
 %: 8.5  %: 7.8
 Seats: 10  Seats: 9
 +/-: +4  +/-: +3

45. Party Party
 Meretz  Invalid/blank votes
 Votes: 226,275  Votes: 67,702
 %: 7.4  %: -
 Seats: 9  Seats: -
 +/-: -
 +/-: -3
 Total
 Yisrael BaAliyah
 Votes: 3,119,832
 Votes: 174,994
 %: 100
 %: 5.7
 Seats: 120
 Seats: 7
 +/-: New party
 +/-: New party

46.  Held in Israel on 17 May 1999 after vote of no confidence in
the government; incumbent PM, Benjamin Netanyahu of
Likud, ran for re-election.
 Only second time in history of Israel where election was
held for only PM’s position, instead of solely for Knesset.
 First such election was previous election, which had been
very close contest between Likud’s Benjamin Netanyahu on
the right, and Labor’s Shimon Peres on the left; the right
won by less than 1% (almost 29,000 votes).
 Ehud Barak of One Israel, who promised to storm citadels
in regard to peace with Palestinians and removal from
Lebanon by July of the following year, defeated Netanyahu
in landslide victory.

47. Party Party
 One Israel  Shas
 Votes: 670,484  Votes: 430,676
 %: 20.2  %: 13.0
 Seats: 26  Seats: 17
 +/-: -11
 +/-: +7
 Meretz
 Likud
 Votes: 468,1o3  Votes: 253,525
 %: 14.1  %: 7.6
 Seats: 19  Seats: 10
 +/-: -8  +/-: +1

48. Party Party
 Yisrael BaAliyah  Centre Party
 Votes: 171,705  Votes: 165,622
 %: 5.1  %: 5.0
 Seats: 6  Seats: 6
 +/-: -1
 +/-: New party
 Shinui
 Votes: 167,748
 %: 5.0
 Seats: 6
 +/-: New party

49.  Invalid/blank votes  Registered
 Votes: 64,332 voters/turnout
 %: -  Voters: 4,285,428
 Seats: -  %: 78.7
 +/-: -  Seats: -
 Total  +/-: -
 Votes: 3,309,416
 %: 100
 Seats: 120
 +/-: 0

50.  Held in Israel on 28 January 2003.
 Result was resounding victory for incumbent PM
Ariel Sharon’s Likud (Sharon was elected in 2001).
 Last separate election for PM was discarded; the
position was given back to leader of the party who
successfully created working coalition government.

51. Party Party
 Likud  Shinui
 Votes: 925,279  Votes: 386,535
 %: 29.39  %: 12.28
 Seats: 38  Seats: 15
 +/-: +19
 +/-: +9
 Shas
 Labor-Meimad
 Votes: 455,183  Votes: 258,879
 %: 14.46  %: 8.22
 Seats: 19  Seats: 11
 +/-: -6  +/-: -6

52.  Party: National Union  Total
 Votes: 173,973  Votes: 3,148,364
 %: 5.52  %: 100
 Seats: 7  Seats: 120
 +/-: -1  +/-: 0
 Party: Meretz-Yachad and
Democratic Choice
 Votes: 164,122
%: 5.21
 Seats: 6
 +/-: -4

53.  Held in Israel on 28 March 2006.
 Voting ended in plurality of seats for then-new Kadima
party, followed by Labour Party, and big loss for Likud
party.
 Following election, the government was established by
Kadima, Labour, Shas, and Gil parties; Yisrael Beiteinu
party joined the government later.
 Ehud Olmert, leader of Kadima, was acting PM,
having replaced Ariel Sharon on 4 January 2006 after
Sharon’s resignation.

54. Party Party
 Kadima  Shas
 Votes: 690,901  Votes: 299,054
 %: 22.02  %: 9.53
 Seats: 29  Seats: 12
 +/-: New party  +/-: +1
 Labor-Meimad  Likud
 Votes: 472,366  Votes: 281,996
 %: 15.06  %: 8.99
 Seats: 19  Seats: 12
 +/-: 0  +/-: -26

55. Party Party
 Yisrael Beiteinu  Gil
 Votes: 281,880  Votes: 185,759
 %: 8.99  %: 5.92
 Seats: 11  Seats: 7
 +/-: New party
 +/-: New party
 National Union-National
Religious Party
 Votes: 224,083
 %: 7.14
 Seats: 9
 +/-: -1

56.  Invalid/blank votes  Total
 Votes: 49,675  Votes: 3,137,064
 %: -  %: 100
 Seats: -  Seats: 120
 +/-: -  +/-: 0

57.  Held in Israel on 10 February 2009.
 Were urgent due to resignation of PM Ehud
Olmert as leader of Kadima party, and failure of
successor Tzipi Livni to establish coalition
government.
 If Olmert had stayed in office or if Livni had
created coalition government, elections would
have been scheduled for and held in 2010 instead.

58. Party Party
 Kadima  Yisrael Beiteinu
 Votes: 758,032  Votes: 394,577
 %: 22.47%  %: 11.70%
 Seats: 28  Seats: 15
 +/-: -1  +/-: +4
 Likud  Labor Party
 Votes: 729,054  Votes: 334,900
 %: 21.61%  %: 9.93%
 Seats: 27  Seats: 13
 +/-: +15  +/-: -6

59.  Party: Shas  Totals
 Votes: 286,300  Votes: 3,416,587
 %: 8.49%  %: 100.00%
 Seats: 11  Seats: 120
 +/-: -1  +/-: -
 Valid votes
 Votes: 3,373,490
 %: 98.74%
 Invalid or blank votes
 Votes: 43,097
 %: 1.26%

60.  Will be held on 22 January 2013 to elect 19th Knesset.
 Initially, public discussion over the Tal Law led to an
early election in 2012; this was terminated at the last
moment after Kadima joined the government for a
short time.
 The elections were subsequently called in early
October 2012 after an agreement to agree on the
budget for 2013 failed.