1. Israel Political Arena From Dominant party, thru dual center to the current instability

2. Election and the legislative branch  The entire country is one electoral district.  The election is for the Knesset - the House of Representatives.  A party that wins more than 2% of the votes (the qualifying threshold) is represented.  Proportional representation: the number of seats which every list receives in the Knesset is proportional to the number of voters who voted for it.  The result is multiplicity of parties which represent, in some cases, small groups of interest.

3. The System – The executive branch  The head of the biggest party (usually) is appointed by the president as prime minister.  The biggest party forms a coalition to have majority  The policy of the government is a compromise between different parties which formed the coalition.  The prime minister depends on every member of the coalition.  The system suffers from instability. 5 elections in 10 years.

4. Mapai as the Dominant Party 1948-1977 Mapai/ Labore Leftwing Zionists Mapam Religious Parties Bourgeois party General Zionists/ Liberal Potential partners for coalition Herut Communists Ben Gurion: “Without Herut and whitout Maki” Non Partners

5. Election results 1949-2006

6. Dual System 1977-2001 Labor Leftwing Parties Secular Parties Likud Religious Parties Right-wing Parties The main dispute: The future of the territories

7. Prime Ministers 1948-2006  David Ben Gurion (Mapai) – 1948 – 1953.  Moshe Sharet (Mapai) – 1954-1955.  David Ben Gurion (Mapai) -1955-1963.  Levi Eshkol (Mapai - renamed Labor) – 1963-1969.  Golda Meir (Labor) – 1969-1974.  Yitzhak Rabin (Labor) – 1974-1977.  Menachem Begin (Likud) – 1977-1983 – The Upheaval  Shimon Peres (Labor) – 1984-1986  Yitzhak Shamir (Likud)– 1983-1984 ( After Begin resignation) ; 1986-1992.  Yitzhak Rabin (Labor) - 1992-1995 (Assassinated by a right- wing radical and was replaced by Peres for Seven months).  Binyamin Netanyahu (Likud) – 1996-1999 (Direct election for PM).  Ehud Barak (Labor) – 1999-2001 (Direct election for PM).  Ariel Sharon (Likud)- 2001-2006 ( Direct election in 2001 and by the Knesset in 2003)  Ehud Olmert (Kadima) - 2006