Israel

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Israel Image File history File links Coat_of_arms_of_Israel. ... Politics of Israel takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Israel is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. ...

Basic Laws Jerusalem Law Law of Return President Moshe Katsav Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Cabinet State Comptroller Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik Members Elections: 2003, 2006 Parties Knesset Elections Law Judicial system Supreme Court Districts Regional council Local council Foreign affairs Israel and the UN Israel and the EU Israeli-Palestinian conflict Arab-Israeli conflict International Law Arab League

Other countries • Politics Portal view • talk • edit

The Elections for the 17th Knesset were held in Israel on 28 March 2006. The voting resulted in a plurality of seats for the then-new Kadima party, followed by the Labour Party, and a major loss for the Likud party. The Basic Laws of Israel are a key component of Israels uncodified constitution. The State of Israel has no formal constitution. ... The Jerusalem Law is a common name of Basic Law: Jerusalem, Capital of Israel passed by the Israeli Knesset on July 30, 1980 (17th Av, 5740). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... President of the State of Israel (Hebrew: נשיא המדינה, Nasi Hamedina) is the head of state of Israel, but has a largely ceremonial, figurehead role with real power lying in the hands of the Prime Minister of Israel. ... Moshe Katsav (Hebrew מֹשֶׁה קַצָּב, Persian موشه کاتساو), (born Mussa Ghassab December 5, 1945) is the eighth and current President of Israel (since 2000). ... The Prime Minister of Israel (Hebrew: ראש הממשלה, Rosh HaMemshala, lit. ... Ehud Olmert (IPA ; Hebrew: אהוד אולמרט; born September 30, 1945) is the 12th and current Prime Minister of Israel. ... The Cabinet of Israel is a formal body comprised of government officials chosen and led by a Prime Minister. ... Israel The power of the Knesset to supervise and review government policies and operations is exercised mainly through the state controller, also known as the ombudsman or ombudswoman (Hebrew: מבקר המדינה Mevaker HaMedina. ... The modern Knesset building, Israels parliament, in Jerusalem Though similar-sounding, Beit Knesset (בית כנסת) literally means House of Assembly, and refers to a synagogue. ... List of Speakers of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament: Joseph Shprinzak (Mapai) 1949-59 Nahum Nir (Ahdut Haavodah) 1959 Kadish Luz (Mapai, Alignment)1959-69 Reuven Barkat (Alignment) 1969-72 Yisrael Yeshayahu-Sharabi (Alignment) 1972-77 Yitzhak Shamir (Likud) 1977-80 Yitzhak Berman (Likud) 1980-81 Menachem... Dalia Itzik (b. ... Members of the 17th Knesset (elected 2006), upon inauguration 1Reichman has announced he intends to step down as Member of Knesset, following the agreement between Kadima and Labour, granting the latter the Ministry of Education as part of the new government. ... Elections in Israel gives information on election and election results in Israel. ... Elections for the 16th Knesset were held in Israel on 28 January 2003. ... Political parties in Israel: Israels political system is based on proportional representation which allows for a multi-party system with numerous parties, in which a single party usually has no chance of gaining power by itself, forcing the parties to cooperate and form coalition governments. ... Knesset Elections Law is crucial legal document governing the process of elections in the Israeli federal parliament or the Knesset. ... Judicial branch is an independent branch of the government which includes secular and religious courts. ... The Supreme Court (Hebrew: בית המשפט העליון, Beit Hamishpat Haelyon ) is at the head of the court system in the State of Israel. ... Map of the districts of Israel There are six main districts of Israel, known in Hebrew as mehozot (מחוזות; singular: mahoz) and fifteen sub-districts known as nafot (נפות; singular: nafa). ... The Israeli Ministry of Interior recognizes three types of local government in Israel: cities, regional councils, and local councils. ... In Israel, a local council is a locality similar to a city in structure and way of life, that has not yet achieved a status of a city, which requires a minimum number of residents, among other things. ... High priorities in the foreign policy of Israel include seeking an end to hostilities with Arab forces, against which it has fought six wars since 1948 and gaining wide acceptance as a sovereign state with an important international role. ... Israel and the United Nations have had very mixed relations, since the states founding on May 14, 1948. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a part of the greater Arab-Israeli conflict, is an ongoing dispute between the State of Israel and Palestinian people (or state). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Arguments about the applicability of various elements of international law underlie the debate around the Arab-Israeli conflict. ... From the time it was established in March 1945, the Arab League took an active role in the Arab-Israeli conflict. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... Elections in Israel gives information on election and election results in Israel. ... The modern Knesset building, Israels parliament, in Jerusalem Though similar-sounding, Beit Knesset (בית כנסת) literally means House of Assembly, and refers to a synagogue. ... The modern Knesset building, Israels parliament, in Jerusalem Though similar-sounding, Beit Knesset (בית כנסת) literally means House of Assembly, and refers to a synagogue. ... March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (88th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kadima (Hebrew: קדימה, QādÄ«māh, forward) is a centrist [note] Israeli political party. ... Labour (העבודה HaAvoda) is an Israeli political party. ... Likud (Hebrew: ליכוד, literally means consolidation) is a centre-right political party in Israel. ...

Background

2003 election and later developments

In the 2003 elections, Likud, under the leadership of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, had a convincing win by Israeli standards, winning 38 seats in the 120-member Knesset (parliament). Labour, led by Amram Mitzna, won only 19 seats and did not initially join the new government. Elections for the 16th Knesset were held in Israel on 28 January 2003. ... The Prime Minister of Israel (Hebrew: ראש הממשלה, Rosh HaMemshala, lit. ...   (Hebrew: , also known by his diminutive Arik אָרִיק) (born February 27, 1928) is a former Israeli politician and general. ... Amram Mitzna is an Israeli politician who served as the mayor of Haifa from 1993 to 2003. ...

Following the 2003 elections, Likud suffered severe divisions over several positions taken by Sharon, mostly notably his adoption of a plan to withdraw Israeli settlers and troops from the Gaza Strip. [1] This position, similar to one taken by Labour in the 2003 elections, caused tension within the Likud party and in January 2005 Shimon Peres led Labour into a coalition with Sharon to allow the Gaza withdrawal to proceed despite opposition from a majority of Likud members. 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...   (Hebrew: ; born Shimon Perske on August 2, 1923 in Poland, and immigrated with his family to Palestine in 1934), is an Israeli politician, former Prime Minister and current Vice Premier. ...

Fall of the Likud-led government

As of the fall of 2005, Peres's Labour Party was providing the votes necessary for the Likud-led 30th Government to maintain its majority support in the Knesset. In Labour's internal leadership election scheduled for early November, Amir Peretz campaigned for the party leadership on a platform that included withdrawing Labour from the Sharon-led coalition. Peretz narrowly defeated Peres in the leadership election on November 9, 2005, and two days later all Labour ministers resigned from the Cabinet and Labour withdrew its support for the Government, leaving it without majority support in the Knesset. Amir Peretz, MK, Chairman of the Israel Labour Party Amir Peretz (Hebrew: עמיר פרץ; Arabic: عمير بيريتس; born March 9, 1952) is an Israeli politician and Defense Minister of Israel. ...

Negotiations between Sharon and Peretz set the election date for March 28, 2006. "I'm letting him [Sharon] choose a date in that period between the end of February and the end of March and whatever date he chooses is acceptable to me, the earlier the better," Peretz said at the time. Sharon said: "As soon as it became clear that the existing political framework was falling apart, I came to the conclusion that the best thing for the country is to hold new elections as soon as possible."

Split in Likud, formation of Kadima

The impending elections raised the prospect of a leadership election within Likud, with former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu expected to challenge Sharon for the party leadership. In late November, Sharon and a number of other Likud ministers and Knesset members announced that they were leaving Likud to form a new, more centrist party, which was eventually named Kadima. The formation of Kadima turned the election into a three-way race among the new party, Labour and Likud, marking a shift from Israel's recent tradition of elections dominated by two major parties. Benjamin Netanyahu (also Binyamin, and in Israel commonly Bibi) (Hebrew: בנימין נתניהו) (born October 21, 1949, Tel Aviv) was the 9th Prime Minister of Israel. ... A two-party system is a form of party system where two major political parties dominate the voting in nearly all elections. ...

Although Kadima was formed primarily of former Likud members, Peres (having lost the Labour leadership election to Peretz) also announced his support for the new party, and later officially left Labour. Peres cited Sharon's leadership skills as a reason for his party switch.

Polls taken through the end of 2005 showed Sharon's Kadima Party enjoying a commanding lead over both Labour and Likud.

Party leadership and list selections

Sharon, as founder of Kadima and incumbent Prime Minster, was universally expected to lead the new party into the March 2006 election. However, on January 4, 2006, Sharon suffered a hemorrhagic stroke, leaving him in a coma. On 31 January 2006, Kadima submitted its list of candidates, with Sharon excluded from the list due to his inability to sign the necessary documents to be a candidate. Ehud Olmert who had become Acting Prime Minister and acting chairman of Kadima when Sharon became incapacitated, now officially became the new party's candidate for Prime Minister. Peres was placed second on Labour's list of candidates. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni was placed third on the Kadima list, with the understanding that she would be the senior Vice Premier if Kadima formed the next government. January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hemorrhagic stroke, or cerebral hemorrhage is a form of stroke that occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures. ... January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ehud Olmert (IPA ; Hebrew: אהוד אולמרט; born September 30, 1945) is the 12th and current Prime Minister of Israel. ... Tzipi Livni, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipora (Tzipi) Livni (Hebrew: ציפי לבני) (born July 5, 1958) is a senior Israeli politician currently serving as Foreign Affairs Minister, with the recently added title of Vice Prime Minister. ...

In the Shinui primaries, Tel Aviv council member Ron Leventhal defeated Avraham Poraz for the number 2 spot. Poraz, a close ally of party leader Yosef Lapid, subsequently resigned from Shinui, as did most Shinui Knesset members, forming a breakaway party called Hetz (ha-Miflaga ha-Hilonit Tzionit or 'the Secular Zionist Party'). Lapid resigned as party leader on 25 January 2006, and Leventhal was subsequently elected the new party leader. Neither Shinui nor Hetz received sufficient votes to win any seats in the 17th Knesset. Shinui had won 15 seats in the 2003 election and was the third largest party in the 16th Knesset. Shinui (שינוי) (original full name: Tenua le-Shinui ve Yozma and then to Shinui-Mifleget ha-Merkaz) is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical, free market liberal party in Israel. ... Tel-Aviv was founded on empty dunes north of the existing city of Jaffa. ... Yosef (Tommy) Lapid (in Hebrew יוסף (טומי) לפיד, b. ... Hetz (Arrow) is an Israeli political party, founded by former Shinui member Avraham Poraz, after he lost the inner Shinui elections to Ron Levintal. ... January 25 is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On 30 January 2006 the right-wing National Union (Halchud HaLeumi), a coalition of three small parties (Moledet, Tkuma, Tzionut Datit Leumit Mitchadeshet), submitted a joint list with the National Religious Party (Mafdal). The merged list is headed by Binyamin Elon. The largely Russian immigrant Israel Beytenu (Israel Our Home) party has separated from National Union and is running a separate list. January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... National Union (Hebrew: Haihud HaLeumi האיחוד הלאומי) is an Israeli right-wing party list (סיעה) formed from the merger of three parties: Moledet (homeland), Tkuma (revival) and Renewed National Religious Zionist party. The three parties still operate somewhat independently, but run as one party list in Israeli elections. ... Moledet (Hebrew מולדת, literally homeland) is a small right-wing political party in Israel. ... Tkuma was a temporary Israeli right wing party during 1998. ... Mafdal party logo The National Religious Party (Hebrew: Mafdal, מפדל) is an Israeli political party representing the religious Zionist movement. ... The grammar in this article needs to be checked. ... Binyamin Benny Elon (1954-) is a Member of the Knesset. ... Yisrael Beytenu (Hebrew: ישראל ביתנו, Israel Our Home) is a right-wing political party in Israel. ...

This separation occurred following polls that predicted that, when running separately, these two major rightist blocs would receive between 20 to 25 seats (in the previous elections, they had received only 7), and it turned out to be true: the National Union bloc received 9 seats and Israel Beytenu received 11.

Likud selected Netanyahu as its leader, over then-Defense Minister Silvan Shalom. At Netanyahu's insistence, Shalom and the other remaining Likud ministers resigned from the Olmert-led government in January 2006. Silvan Shalom Silvan Shalom ▶(?) (Hebrew סילבן שלום) (born 1958) is an Israeli politician and current Foreign Minister of Israel, having been appointed in 2003 by the current Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. ...

Polls conducted from January through March showed Kadima still enjoying a substantial lead, though somewhat reduced from polls taken under Sharon's leadership.

Key issues

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a part of the greater Arab-Israeli conflict, is an ongoing dispute between the State of Israel and Palestinian people (or state). ...

Fighting Palestinian militancy

During the al-Aqsa Intifada, more than a thousand Israelis were killed in Palestinian militant attacks. Israel's security policy during that time was focused on arresting or killing members of the militant organizations, through frequent military excursions into the Palestinian territories and (somewhat controversially) targeted assassinations, and to curb the movement of suspected militants - especially would-be suicide bombers - through the use of checkpoints. This policy won the support of the Jewish mainstream, but elements in the Jewish left, as well as the vast majority of the Arab population, vehemently opposed what they saw as excessive response to the security threat. Some claimed that Israel's policy was in fact encouraging more violence from the Palestinian side. Despite the decrease in violence during 2005 and 2006, or perhaps because of it, popular support for the security policy remained high among the Israeli public, which continued to fear suicide bombings and Qassam rocket attacks. Palestinian political violence refers to acts of violence committed for political reasons by Palestinian individuals or groups. ... For other uses, see Al-aqsa (disambiguation). ... The West Bank map The Gaza Strip map Palestinian territories is one of a number of terms used to describe, from Arab point of view, areas captured by Israel in the Six-day War of 1967, whose political status has been the subject of negotiations between Israel and the Palestine... Assassin and Targeted killing redirect here. ... The remnants of an exploded Qassam rocket that was fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel. ...

During the 2006 electoral campaign, the center and right parties are vowing to continue the relentless fight against the Palestinian militants. Even Labour, which was traditionally known for its dovish views, has put "combating terrorism" at the top of its agenda on the Conflict. Opposition to the current security policy, especially the use of targeted assassinations and the existence of checkpoints on Palestinian soil, comes mainly from Jewish left parties such as Meretz and from the Arab parties. The Israel Labor Party (Hebrew: העבודה, Ha‘Avoda (Labor), officially מפלגת העבודה הישראלית, Mifleget Ha‘Avoda HaIsra’elit) is a center-left political party in Israel. ... Meretz (מרצ, Hebrew: vitality, energy) was an Israeli leftist secular political party. ...

Solutions to the conflict

In the wake of the Disengagement Plan, the political field in Israel split into two roughly distinct groups: those who are in favor of withdrawing from most or all of the West Bank (unofficially nicknamed "Blues"), and those who wish for that area to remain under Israeli control (so-called "Orange"). In particular, Ariel Sharon and his faction left Likud to form Kadima because of their support of ending Israeli control over the West Bank. However, the two groups are also divided internally as to what practical steps need to be taken during the next few years. The Gaza Disengagement Plan describes the move to withdraw all Jewish Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip unilaterally as soon as possible, lead by Ariel Sharon. ...   (Hebrew: , also known by his diminutive Arik אָרִיק) (born February 27, 1928) is a former Israeli politician and general. ... Likud (Hebrew: ליכוד, literally means consolidation) is a centre-right political party in Israel. ... Kadima (Hebrew: קדימה, QādÄ«māh, forward) is a centrist [note] Israeli political party. ...

• Meretz supports bilateral negotiations as the only path towards peace.
• Labour and Kadima both advocate further negotiations, but the supposed non-existence of a partner for peace on the Palestinian side (following Hamas victory in the 2006 Palestinian elections) brings them to strongly consider "shaping Israel's permanent borders" through a unilateral withdrawal from most of the West Bank, leaving in place the large settlement blocs and the Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem. These borders will be marked by the completed separation barrier. Kadima leader Ehud Olmert used the term "Convergence Plan" (תכנית ההתכנסות).
• Yisrael Beytenu supports continued Israeli control of most settlements, but offers to cede some Israeli Arab cities and uninhabited territories to the Palestinian Authority in exchange.
• Likud advocates an expansion of the separation barrier to include more territory on the Israeli side, and continued Israeli control of the Jordan Valley, the whole of Jerusalem and the settlement blocs.
• National Union-National Religious Party vehemently opposes any more unilateral withdrawals, and supports the strengthening of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
• Herut and National Jewish Front, two fringe nationalist groups, support a massive population transfer of the Arabs under Israeli control - both Palestinians and Israeli citizens - to neighboring Arab countries as a solution to the conflict. While Herut supports "voluntary transfer" through the creation of a compensation mechanism, the Front does not rule out forced transfer.

Meretz (מרצ, Hebrew: vitality, energy) was an Israeli leftist secular political party. ... Labour or Labor, (Hebrew: העבודה, ha-`Avōdāh) is a political party in Israel. ... Kadima (Hebrew: קדימה, Qādīmāh, forward) is a centrist [note] Israeli political party. ... Hamas (Arabic: ‎; acronym: Arabic: ‎, or Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya or Islamic Resistance Movement; the Arabic acronym means zeal) is a Palestinian Sunni Islamist organization that currently (since January 2006) forms the majority party of the Palestinian National Authority. ... Wikinews has news related to this article: Hamas wins Palestinian election On January 25, 2006, elections were held for the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), the legislature of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). ... Map of Israeli settlements (magenta) in the West Bank. ... East Jerusalem is that part of Jerusalem which was held by Jordan from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War until the Six-Day War in 1967. ... The barrier route as of May 2005. ... Ehud Olmert (IPA ; Hebrew: אהוד אולמרט; born September 30, 1945) is the 12th and current Prime Minister of Israel. ... The convergence plan (Hebrew: תכנית ההתכנסות or תוכנית ההתכנסות) is a plan that was formulate by and introduce to the public by Ehud Olmert, the substitute of the Prime Minister of Israel, in a number of interviews to the Media during the election campaign for the 17th Knesset in 2006. ... Yisrael Beytenu (Hebrew: ישראל ביתנו, Israel Our Home) is a right-of-center political party in Israel with support from immigrants to Israel who came from the lands of the former Soviet Union. ... Likud (Hebrew: ליכוד, literally means consolidation) is a centre-right political party in Israel. ... Northern part of the Great Rift Valley as seen from space (NASA) The Jordan River The Jordan River (Hebrew: נהר הירדן nehar hayarden, Arabic: نهر الأردن nahr al-urdun) is a river in Southwest Asia flowing through the Great Rift Valley into the Dead Sea. ... National Union (Hebrew: Haihud HaLeumi האיחוד הלאומי) is an Israeli right-wing party list (סיעה) formed from the merger of three parties: Moledet (homeland), Tkuma (revival) and Renewed National Religious Zionist party. The three parties still operate somewhat independently, but run as one party list in Israeli elections. ... Mafdal party logo The National Religious Party (Hebrew: Mafdal, מפדל) is an Israeli political party representing the religious Zionist movement. ... Herut (Hebrew: חרות Freedom) was the political party of the Revisionist Zionist movement in Israel. ... The Chayil Party is the Right Wing Israeli political party founded by Baruch Marzel. ... Population transfer is a term referring to a policy by which a state, or international authority, forces the movement of a large group of people out of a region, most frequently on the basis of their ethnicity or religion. ...

Economic and social issues

Peretz Labour campaign billboard in Tel Aviv, "Ki Higiyah Hazman" - Because The Time Has Come

Since Israel's establishment, the political scene has been dominated by security and peace issues. The major parties were mainly divided by the different approaches with regard to the Israeli-Arab and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts. Image File history File linksMetadata PeretzCampaign. ... Image File history File linksMetadata PeretzCampaign. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a part of the greater Arab-Israeli conflict, is an ongoing dispute between the State of Israel and Palestinian people (or state). ...

The 2006 elections mark the first time a major party - the Israel Labour Party - has placed economic and social issues on top of its agenda. This is mainly attributed to Amir Peretz's surprise victory over Shimon Peres in the November 2005 ILP leadership election; Peretz had left the party a few years earlier to form the socialist Am Ehad, which had only recently merged into Labour. Labour (העבודה HaAvoda) is an Israeli political party. ... Amir Peretz, MK, Chairman of the Israel Labour Party Amir Peretz (Hebrew: עמיר פרץ; Arabic: عمير بيريتس; born March 9, 1952) is an Israeli politician and Defense Minister of Israel. ...   (Hebrew: ; born Shimon Perske on August 2, 1923 in Poland, and immigrated with his family to Palestine in 1934), is an Israeli politician, former Prime Minister and current Vice Premier. ... Am Ehad (One Nation) is a political party in Israel. ...

Labour's social democratic approach, which includes promises to raise the minimum wage and allocate a pension for every worker, now stands in sharp contrast to the neo-liberal agenda promoted by Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu. Serving as Finance Minister from 2003 to 2005, Netanyahu led a policy that encouraged economic growth and lower taxes at the expense of Israel's long-running welfare mechanism. This has alienated him from many Likud supporters, which traditionally hail from the lower and middle classes. In the campaign, Netanyahu claimed (backed by several economics experts) to have done this to "save the Israeli economy from collapse." Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... The minimum wage is the minimum rate a worker can legally be paid (usually per hour) as opposed to wages that are determined by the forces of supply and demand in a free market. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... The term neoliberalism is used to describe a political-economic philosophy that had major implications for government policies beginning in the 1970s – and increasingly prominent since 1980 – that de-emphasizes or rejects positive government intervention in the economy, focusing instead on achieving progress and even social justice by... Likud (Hebrew: ליכוד, literally means consolidation) is a centre-right political party in Israel. ... Benjamin Netanyahu (also Binyamin, and in Israel commonly Bibi) (Hebrew: בנימין נתניהו) (born October 21, 1949, Tel Aviv) was the 9th Prime Minister of Israel. ... Accumulated GDP growth for various countries. ... Likud (Hebrew: ליכוד, literally means consolidation) is a centre-right political party in Israel. ... Israel has a diversified modern economy with substantial government ownership and a rapidly developing high-tech sector. ...

In addition to Labour, the orthodox religious Shas, which has always claimed to champion the poor in Israeli society, also attacked Netanyahu's policies during the campaign, as did a number of small (and often new) socialist parties. Shas logo Shas (Hebrew: שס) is an Israeli political party representing mostly Haredi Sephardi Jews. ...

Israel as a Jewish and democratic state

The term Jewish state is sometimes used to describe the State of Israel and refers to its status as a nation-state for the Jewish people. ... Democracy (literally rule by the people, from the Greek demos, people, and kratos, rule) is a form of government for a nation state, or for an organization in which all the citizens have an equal vote or voice in shaping policy. ...

Relations between the Jewish religion and the state

From 1948 to 2003, religious parties played a part in every coalition formed in Israel. Zionist religious parties focused on maintaining the balance between observants and seculars in issues such as education, Kashrut, keeping the Sabbath and matrimonial law, while Haredi parties demanded funds for religious scholars and the continued exemption of their followers from military service (decided on by David Ben Gurion in 1951.) All of this alienated many secular Israelis, who felt their personal freedoms were being infringed upon and that they were unfairly carrying most of the burden. This led to the rise of Shinui, which at the 2003 elections won 15 out of 120 seats and joined Ariel Sharon's coalition. Shinui failed in making significant changes to the status quo on religious issues, and quit the government in 2005 after Sharon decided to transfer funds to the orthodox United Torah Judaism party. An internal quarrel caused most Knesset members from Shinui to form a new party (Hetz); both parties ran in the 2006 elections, although neither of them received any mandates. Kippot Sruggot: Modern Orthodox Jewish students carry the flag of Israel at a public parade in Manhattan, NY, USA Religious Zionism, or the Religious Zionist Movement, also called Mizrachi, is an ideology combining Zionism and Judaism, which offers Zionism based on the principles of Jewish religion and heritage. ... The circled U indicates that this product is certified as kosher by the Orthodox Union (OU). ... This artyicle concerns the Sabbath in Christianity. ... Haredi or Charedi Judaism, often referred to as Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, is the most theologically conservative form of Orthodox Judaism. ... ... Shinui (שינוי) (original full name: Tenua le-Shinui ve Yozma and then to Shinui-Mifleget ha-Merkaz) is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical, free market liberal party in Israel. ... Elections for the 16th Knesset were held in Israel on 28 January 2003. ...   (Hebrew: , also known by his diminutive Arik אָרִיק) (born February 27, 1928) is a former Israeli politician and general. ... United Torah Judaism (In Hebrew: יהדות התורה which translates as Judaism [of the] Torah) (UTJ) is a small Haredi political party in the Israeli Knesset. ... Hetz (Arrow) is an Israeli political party, founded by former Shinui member Avraham Poraz, after he lost the inner Shinui elections to Ron Levintal. ...

Shinui, Hetz, Meretz, and Ale Yarok wish to promote what they see as key secular and democratic principles: Shinui (שינוי) (original full name: Tenua le-Shinui ve Yozma and then to Shinui-Mifleget ha-Merkaz) is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical, free market liberal party in Israel. ... Meretz (מרצ, Hebrew: vitality, energy) was an Israeli leftist secular political party. ... Ale Yarok (Green Leaf) is a political party in Israel. ...

• Allowing businesses to remain open and public transportation to operate during the Sabbath;
• Abolishing the orthodox monopoly on conducting marriage and divorce between Jewish couples (which in fact prevents many couples from getting married in Israel) by instituting civil marriage, including for homosexuals;
• Allowing the public sale of pork (forbidden under Kashrut laws);
• Committing orthodox religious scholars to military service.

The various religious parties, both Zionist (Mafdal) and Haredi (Shas, United Torah Judaism) strictly oppose these changes. They wish to see Israel's Jewish character strengthened through further enforcement of the Sabbath and changes in the educational system. This artyicle concerns the Sabbath in Christianity. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination... Marriage is a relationship that plays a key role in the definition of many people who (usually) are in a sexual relationship. ... Two halves of a pig being delivered Pork is the meat taken from pigs. ... The circled U indicates that this product is certified as kosher by the Orthodox Union (OU). ... The grammar in this article needs to be checked. ... Shas logo Shas (Hebrew: שס) is an Israeli political party representing mostly Haredi Sephardi Jews. ... United Torah Judaism (In Hebrew: יהדות התורה which translates as Judaism [of the] Torah) (UTJ) is a small Haredi political party in the Israeli Knesset. ... This artyicle concerns the Sabbath in Christianity. ...

Relations between Jews and Arabs

Israeli Arabs constitute roughly 20% of the population in Israel. There is continued institutional and social discrimination against them in Israel. Because they are not Jews and identify ethnically with Palestinians their identity often clashes with their citizenship in the Jewish state. There are large disparities in general living standard and education between Israeli Arabs and the non-Arab Israeli population; they also have a lower participation rate in the workforce. Discrimination and a lower proportion of females in the workforce are often cited as reasons for this. See Israeli Arab. The Israeli Arabs, or 1948 Palestinians, are those Arabs who remained inside the borders of what would become Israel after 1948, when most Arabs fled the country in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War (see also Nakba). They make up roughly 20% of Israels population. ... The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The Arab parties, the largest of which are Raam, Balad and Hadash (a Jewish-Arab communist party, with mostly Arab composition and electorate), advocate abolition of all forms of ethnic inequality, and the establishment of a democratic bi-national state. RAAM may mean: United Arab List, Hebrew. ... Balad is a city 50 miles north of Baghdad in Israel, currently led by Azmi Bishara and Ahmad Tibi. ... Hadash (חדש) is a far left wing, largely Arab [1], popular front group in Israel made up of the Communist Party of Israel and other left-leaning political groups. ...

Most Jews in Israel see the clear inequality that exists as a natural result of Israel being a Jewish state. They lament that the Arabs, who demand equal rights, do not take on equal obligations (especially military service), and that some of them are disloyal and show solidarity and offer aid to the Arab terrorists which fight Israel. For example, one Arab member of the Knesset publicly called for Israel's destruction, a number of Israeli Arabs have been convicted in court of collusion with terrorists. Herut and National Jewish Front, two extreme right-wing parties, support transferring the Israeli Arabs to Jordan and other Arab countries. Avigdor Liberman and his Israel Beytenu party advocate an exchange of territory which would place a considerable number of Arab settlements currently in Israel in a future Palestinian state, in exchange for Jewish settlements in the West Bank which would become an integral part of Israel. The term Jewish state is sometimes used to describe the State of Israel and refers to its status as a nation-state for the Jewish people. ... Herut (Hebrew: חרות Freedom) was the political party of the Revisionist Zionist movement in Israel. ... The Chayil Party is the Right Wing Israeli political party founded by Baruch Marzel. ... Population transfer is a term referring to a policy by which a state, or international authority, forces the movement of a large group of people out of a region, most frequently on the basis of their ethnicity or religion. ... Avigdor Liberman Avigdor Liberman (b. ... Yisrael Beytenu (Hebrew: ישראל ביתנו, Israel Our Home) is a right-wing political party in Israel. ...

Procedures

See also: Elections in Israel Elections in Israel gives information on election and election results in Israel. ...

The elections will allocate the 120 seats in the Knesset by party-list proportional representation, using the d'Hondt method. The election threshold is set at 2% (up from 1.5% in previous elections), which is a little over two seats. Party-list proportional representation systems are a family of voting systems used in multiple-winner elections (e. ... The DHondt method is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. ... In party-list proportional representation systems, an election threshold is a clause that stipulates that a party must receive a minimum percentage of votes, either nationally or within a particular district, to get any seats in the parliament. ...

Once the official results are published, the President of Israel will delegate the task of forming a government to the Member of Knesset with the most chances of doing so (usually the leader of the largest party.) He will have up to 42 days to negotiate with the different parties, and then present his government to the Knesset for a vote of confidence. Once the government is approved (by a vote of at least 61 members), he will become Prime Minister. President of the State of Israel (Hebrew: נשיא המדינה, Nasi Hamedina) is the head of state of Israel, but has a largely ceremonial, figurehead role with real power lying in the hands of the Prime Minister of Israel. ... A Motion of Confidence is a motion of support proposed by a government in a parliament to give members of parliament a chance to register their confidence for a government by means of a parliamentary vote. ... The Prime Minister of Israel (Hebrew: ראש הממשלה, Rosh HaMemshala, lit. ...

Official list of participating parties

Note: traditional left-right divisions in Israel are different than in most countries, being mostly based on the different positions with regard to security and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. For example, the left-wing Meretz-Yachad mainly advocates negotiations with the Palestinians along the lines of the Geneva Initiative, while the right-wing National Union is opposed to any territorial concessions, yet both parties have strong histories of tabling social/welfare laws. Kadima (Hebrew: קדימה, QādÄ«māh, forward) is a centrist [note] Israeli political party. ... Ehud Olmert (IPA ; Hebrew: אהוד אולמרט; born September 30, 1945) is the 12th and current Prime Minister of Israel. ... Likud (Hebrew: ליכוד, literally means consolidation) is a centre-right political party in Israel. ... Labour or Labor, (Hebrew: העבודה, ha-`Avōdāh) is a political party in Israel. ... Amir Peretz, MK, Chairman of the Israel Labour Party Amir Peretz (Hebrew: עמיר פרץ; Arabic: عمير بيريتس; born March 9, 1952) is an Israeli politician and Defense Minister of Israel. ... Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... Likud (Hebrew: ליכוד, literally means consolidation) is a centre-right political party in Israel. ... Benjamin Netanyahu (also Binyamin, and in Israel commonly Bibi) (Hebrew: בנימין נתניהו) (born October 21, 1949, Tel Aviv) was the 9th Prime Minister of Israel. ... Hetz (Arrow) is an Israeli political party, founded by former Shinui member Avraham Poraz, after he lost the inner Shinui elections to Ron Levintal. ... Shinui (שינוי) (original full name: Tenua le-Shinui ve Yozma and then to Shinui-Mifleget ha-Merkaz) is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical, free market liberal party in Israel. ... Anti-clericalism is a movement that opposes religious interference into public and political life and more generally the encroachment of religion in the citizens lives. ... Shinui (שינוי) (original full name: Tenua le-Shinui ve Yozma and then to Shinui-Mifleget ha-Merkaz) is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical, free market liberal party in Israel. ... Shas logo Shas (Hebrew: שס) is an Israeli political party representing mostly Haredi Sephardi Jews. ... Sephardim (ספרדי, Standard Hebrew SÉ™fardi, Tiberian Hebrew ardî; plural Sephardim: ספרדים, Standard Hebrew Sfaradim, Tiberian Hebrew ) are a subgroup of Jews, generally defined in contrast to Ashkenazim and/or . ... It has been suggested that Pentateuch be merged into this article or section. ... Eliyahu (Eli) Yishai (in Hebrew אליהו (אלי) ישי) (born December 26, 1962) is the leader of the Haredi Sephardi Shas party in Israel. ... Sephardim (ספרדי, Standard Hebrew SÉ™fardi, Tiberian Hebrew ardî; plural Sephardim: ספרדים, Standard Hebrew Sfaradim, Tiberian Hebrew ) are a subgroup of Jews, generally defined in contrast to Ashkenazim and/or . ... United Torah Judaism (In Hebrew: יהדות התורה which translates as Judaism [of the] Torah) (UTJ) is a small Haredi political party in the Israeli Knesset. ... It has been suggested that Pentateuch be merged into this article or section. ... Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim (אַשְׁכֲּנָזִי אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים Standard Hebrew, AÅ¡kanazi,AÅ¡kanazim, Tiberian Hebrew, ʾAÅ¡kănāzî, ʾAÅ¡kănāzîm, pronounced sing. ... National Union (Hebrew: Haihud HaLeumi האיחוד הלאומי) is an Israeli right-wing party list (סיעה) formed from the merger of three parties: Moledet (homeland), Tkuma (revival) and Renewed National Religious Zionist party. The three parties still operate somewhat independently, but run as one party list in Israeli elections. ... Mafdal party logo The National Religious Party (Hebrew: Mafdal, מפדל) is an Israeli political party representing the religious Zionist movement. ... Binyamin Benny Elon (1954-) is a Member of the Knesset. ... Kippot Sruggot: Modern Orthodox Jewish students carry the flag of Israel at a public parade in Manhattan, NY, USA Religious Zionism, or the Religious Zionist Movement, also called Mizrachi, is an ideology combining Zionism and Judaism, which offers Zionism based on the principles of Jewish religion and heritage. ... National Union (Hebrew: Haihud HaLeumi האיחוד הלאומי) is an Israeli right-wing party list (סיעה) formed from the merger of three parties: Moledet (homeland), Tkuma (revival) and Renewed National Religious Zionist party. The three parties still operate somewhat independently, but run as one party list in Israeli elections. ... The grammar in this article needs to be checked. ... Yisrael Beytenu (Hebrew: ישראל ביתנו, Israel Our Home) is a right-of-center political party in Israel with support from immigrants to Israel who came from the lands of the former Soviet Union. ... Avigdor Liberman Avigdor Liberman (b. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Meretz. ... Yossi Beilin Dr. Yossef (Yossi) Beilin (Hebrew: ; born June 12, 1948) is an Israeli politician, Knesset member, and a former , deputy foreign minister and justice minister within the Israeli Labour Party. ... Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... United Arab List (RAAM, Hebrew. ... Taal, or the Arab Movement for Renewal, is a single-member Israeli parliamentary group that was founded by MK Ahmad Tibi after he left Balad during the 14th Knesset. ... Sheikh Ibrahim Sarsur (born: 1947) is an Arab-Israeli politician and Knesset member, head of Raam-Taal. ... United Arab List (RAAM, Hebrew. ... Taal, or the Arab Movement for Renewal, is a single-member Israeli parliamentary group that was founded by MK Ahmad Tibi after he left Balad during the 14th Knesset. ... Balad is a city 50 miles north of Baghdad in Israel, currently led by Azmi Bishara and Ahmad Tibi. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Hadash (חדש) is a far left wing, largely Arab [1], popular front group in Israel made up of the Communist Party of Israel and other left-leaning political groups. ... Mohammad Barakeh, Israeli Arab politician. ... The Communist Party of Israel (known as Maki, an acronym for Miflaga Komunistit Yisraelit) was formed in 1948 by the remnant of the Communist Party of Palestine within the borders of the new state of Israel. ... Anti-Zionism is a term used to describe several different political and religious points of view. ... Tafnit (Hebrew: תפנית Turnaround) is a political party and a social movement which was established by the Aluf in reserve Uzi Dayan. ... Ale Yarok (Green Leaf) is a political party in Israel. ... A Cannabis sativa plant The drug cannabis, also called marijuana, is produced from parts of the cannabis plant, primarily the cured flowers and gathered trichomes of the female plant. ... Brit Olam (Hebrew: ברית עולם) is a list that run in the 2006 Elections for the 17th Knesset. ... Ofer Lifshits (born in the kibbutz Mesada) is the chairman of Brit Olam party. ... Gil - Gimlaey Yisrael LaKneset (Hebrew: גיל - גימלאי ישראל לכנסת Gil - pensioners of Israel to the Knesset) is an Israeli pensioners party that ran in the 2006 Elections for the 17th Knesset. ... Rafael (Rafi) Eitan Rafael (Rafi) Eitan (Hebrew: רפי איתן) (born November 23, 1926) is the leader of Gil - Gimlaey Yisrael LaKneset (pensioners of Israel to the Knesset) party which has won an unexpected large number of seats in the Israeli legislative election of 2006. ... Da`aM - Mifleget Po`alim (Hebrew: דעם – מפלגת פועלים Daam – Workers Party) is a leftist Israeli party that run in the 2006 Elections for the 17th Knesset. ... HaYerukim (הירוקים; literally The Greens) is the Green Party of Israel. ... The party for the war against banks (Hebrew: המפלגה למלחמה בבנקים) or HaLev (Hebrew: הלב) is a political party that her goal is to reduce damages that the banks causing to the public by legislation. ... This article is becoming very long. ... The Chayil Party is the Right Wing Israeli political party founded by Baruch Marzel. ... Baruch Marzel on Israeli channel 10, after he called for the murder of Israeli journalist Uri Avnery (the photo in the background is of Avnery) Baruch Marzel is an American-born Israeli, Orthodox Jew and political-religious activist. ... Speaking: US-born Rabbi Meir Kahane, leader of the Kach party in the Knesset. ... Lev party (Hebrew: מפלגת לב) or Lev LaOlim - heart to the Olim (Hebrew: לב לעולים) is an Israeli political party targeted to Olim from central Asia and other ethnic minority groups. ... Herut (Hebrew: חרות Freedom) was the political party of the Revisionist Zionist movement in Israel. ... Leader of the party The Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (Либерально-Демократическая Партия России, Liberalno-Demokratičeskaja Partija Rossii) is a far right political party in Russia. ... Oz LaAniyim (Hebrew: עוז לעניים strength to the poor) is a Israeli social political party that was established in 1999. ... Tzomet or Tsomet (Hebrew: צומת, meaning crossroads) is a secular, right-wing Israeli political party. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Left-Right politics. ... In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply The Right, are terms that refer to the segment of the political spectrum often associated with any of several strains of conservatism, the religious right, and areas of classical liberalism, or simply the opposite of left-wing politics. ... The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a part of the greater Arab-Israeli conflict, is an ongoing dispute between the State of Israel and Palestinian people (or state). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Meretz. ... This article is about the proposal for peace between Israel and Palestine. ... National Union (Hebrew: Haihud HaLeumi האיחוד הלאומי) is an Israeli right-wing party list (סיעה) formed from the merger of three parties: Moledet (homeland), Tkuma (revival) and Renewed National Religious Zionist party. The three parties still operate somewhat independently, but run as one party list in Israeli elections. ...

Pre-election opinion polling

Numbers in the table below are seats, out of a total of 120, as predicted by opinion polls prior to the election.

As the electoral threshold stands at 2%, it is impossible for a party to receive only one seat in the Knesset. In party-list proportional representation systems, an election threshold is a clause that stipulates that a party must receive a minimum percentage of votes, either nationally or within a particular district, to get any seats in the parliament. ...

Note: Most Israeli pollsters lump the "Arab" parties together, so that the listed number is the total number of seats that the three main Arab lists (Raam, Balad, Hadash) are expected to obtain. In the event that one or more of the three lists does not pass the 2% threshold, the representation of these parties will be one to three fewer seats than listed by the polls.

¹ National Union and Yisrael Beytenu together have 7 seats. March 22 is the 81st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (82nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (83rd in Leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (86th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 27 is the 86th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (87th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Jerusalem Post is an Israeli newspaper in the English language. ... Kadima (Hebrew: קדימה, QādÄ«māh, forward) is a centrist [note] Israeli political party. ... Likud (Hebrew: ליכוד, literally means consolidation) is a centre-right political party in Israel. ... Labour (העבודה HaAvoda) is an Israeli political party. ... Shinui (שינוי) (original full name: Tenua le-Shinui ve Yozma and then to Shinui-Mifleget ha-Merkaz) is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical, free market liberal party in Israel. ... Shas logo Shas (Hebrew: שס) is an Israeli political party representing mostly Haredi Sephardi Jews. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Meretz. ... National Union (Hebrew: Haihud HaLeumi האיחוד הלאומי) is an Israeli right-wing party list (סיעה) formed from the merger of three parties: Moledet (homeland), Tkuma (revival) and Renewed National Religious Zionist party. The three parties still operate somewhat independently, but run as one party list in Israeli elections. ... Mafdal party logo The National Religious Party (Hebrew: Mafdal, מפדל) is an Israeli political party representing the religious Zionist movement. ... Yisrael Beytenu (Hebrew: ישראל ביתנו, Israel Our Home) is a right-of-center political party in Israel with support from immigrants to Israel who came from the lands of the former Soviet Union. ... United Torah Judaism (In Hebrew: יהדות התורה which translates as Judaism [of the] Torah) (UTJ) is a small Haredi political party in the Israeli Knesset. ... Ale Yarok (Green Leaf) is a political party in Israel. ... Gil - Gimlaey Yisrael LaKneset (Hebrew: גיל - גימלאי ישראל לכנסת Gil - pensioners of Israel to the Knesset) is an Israeli pensioners party that ran in the 2006 Elections for the 17th Knesset. ... Tafnit (Hebrew: תפנית Turnaround) is a political party and a social movement which was established by the Aluf in reserve Uzi Dayan. ... HaYerukim (הירוקים; literally The Greens) is the Green Party of Israel. ...

² Dahaf - published in Yediot Aharonot (and/or its affiliate site Ynet) with the remark "The votes of the undecided were assigned to parties on the basis of additional questions." Yedioth Ahronoth (Hebrew: ידיעות אחרונות, meaning latest news) is a major daily Israeli newspaper, written in Hebrew. ...

Results

Other parties that did not pass the minimum threshold (2%, 62,741 votes) to enter the knesset:

The turnout was the lowest in Israeli legislative election history, 63.6% of eligible voters^[1], compared to 68.9% in 2003 and 78.7% in 1999. The turnout of 62.5% in 2001 prime-ministerial election is the lowest in nationwide elections. Da`aM - Mifleget Po`alim (Hebrew: דעם – מפלגת פועלים Daam – Workers Party) is a leftist Israeli party that run in the 2006 Elections for the 17th Knesset. ... Brit Olam (Hebrew: ברית עולם) is a list that run in the 2006 Elections for the 17th Knesset. ... The party for the war against banks (Hebrew: המפלגה למלחמה בבנקים) or HaLev (Hebrew: הלב) is a political party that her goal is to reduce damages that the banks causing to the public by legislation. ... Lev party (Hebrew: מפלגת לב) or Lev LaOlim - heart to the Olim (Hebrew: לב לעולים) is an Israeli political party targeted to Olim from central Asia and other ethnic minority groups. ... Tzomet or Tsomet (Hebrew: צומת, meaning crossroads) is a secular, right-wing Israeli political party. ... Oz LaAniyim (Hebrew: עוז לעניים strength to the poor) is a Israeli social political party that was established in 1999. ... Men of the Colony of Queensland turning out to vote in the Australian 1899 Federation referendum. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

Immediate impact and coalition prospects

For the second time in Israeli history (previously in 1999), no dominant party will sit in the Knesset, only two medium (Kadima and Labour) and small-sized ones. The most likely coalition appears to be a government led by Kadima, with Labour as a senior partner. Olmert has already stated that he prefers entering into a coalition with Labour, and that Peretz is a "suitable partner."

The coalitionary stage could be seen to be divided into two dimensions which will impact the system chronologically: the socio-economic one, which will come decisively into play in the budget bill that is required to be passed by the end of June 2006 or new elections are called, and the national dimension, underscored by Olmert's plan to disengage, unilaterally if necessary, from the West Bank. This may result in two different coalitions for each stage. A government budget is a legal document that is often passed by the legislature, and approved by the chief executive. ... Israels unilateral disengagement plan (termed in Hebrew: תוכנית ההתנתקות Tokhnit HaHitnatkut or תכנית ההינתקות Tokhnit HaHinatkut in the Disengagement Plan Implementation Law), also known as the disengagement plan, Gaza Pull-Out plan, and Hitnatkut) was a proposal by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, adopted by the government and enacted in August 2005, to...

The former could include virtually every Zionist party except Likud. The latter event, expected to take place in a year or two could at a minimum include: Kadima, Labour, Gimlaim, and Meretz, giving an Olmert a coalition of 60 seats in the Knesset consisting solely of non-Arab, secular, centre-left parties and depending on the support of acquiescence of at least one other party. He could opt for this coalition from the very beginning but with only 60 seats, one short of an absolute majority in the Knesset, in order to swear-in a government it would be necessary to find another party willing to support the coalition at both stages. Absolute majority is a supermajoritarian voting requirement which is stricter than a simple majority. ...

Thus, the impact of this election can be highlighted in having the lowest voter turnout and in being a decisive blow to the right-national block in the Knesset.

On April 2, both the Pensioners' Party and Meretz recommended to Katzav that Olmert become Prime Minister. The next day, at a joint appearance, Olmert and Peretz announced that Kadima and Labor would be coalition partners and that Peretz would advise the President to tap Olmert as Prime Minister[2].

On April 6, President Katzav formally asked Olmert to form a government officially making him Prime Minister-designate. Olmert has 28 days to assemble a coalition government, if he fails to do so in this period he can ask for a two week extension[3]..

See also

• List of 17th Knesset members

Members of the 17th Knesset (elected 2006), upon inauguration 1Reichman has announced he intends to step down as Member of Knesset, following the agreement between Kadima and Labour, granting the latter the Ministry of Education as part of the new government. ...

Notes

1. ^ The official turnout is based on the number of eligible voters, however, that number is somewhat misleading since the count of eligible voters includes a significant number of Israeli citizens who in fact cannot vote. This consists mainly of a large number of citizens residing or travelling abroad on the day of the election (and are thus prohibited from voting, unless they are members of the diplomatic corps who are allowed to vote abroad; otherwise they must travel to Israel on election day if they wish to exercise their right to vote). It also includes some deceased voters who have yet to be removed from the voter registration rolls. All Israeli citizens are automatically registered to vote, and thus in Israel there is no distinction between registered voters and eligible voters, as there is in the U.S., for example. Moreover, the rules defining who is allowed to vote by absentee ballot are much more restrictive than those in the U.S., for example. When these factors are taken into account the actual voter turnout is about 5% higher than the figure cited above.

External links

• All the parties running for the 17th Knesset
• Elections for the 17th Knesset
• Opinion polls