Israel has numerous minor political parties. Under the proportional representation electoral system used to elect members of theKnesset, parties required only 1% of the vote to win a seat in the legislature until the 1992 elections, when the electoral threshold was increased to 1.5%.[1] This was raised to 3.25% prior to the 2015 elections. This article lists all parties to have contested a Knesset election, but failed to win seats.
| Party | Elections | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Abolish Income Tax | 1981 | |
| Ahavat Yisrael (Love Israel) | 2003 | |
| Ahrayut (Responsibility) | 2009 | Party advocating the creation of a constitution and the holding of regular referendums.[2] |
| Ale Yarok | 1999, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2015 | Party advocating for the legalisation of marijuana. |
| Aliyah and Youth Movement | 1984 | |
| Am Shalem (Whole Nation) | 2013 | Formed byHaim Amsalem after he leftShas in 2010. The name was taken from his surname.[3] |
| Amkha (Ordinary People) | 1981, 1984 | Headed byVictor Tayar |
| Arab Brotherhood List | 1981 | Christian Arab list headed byHaneh Hadad |
| Arab Citizens' List | 1981 | Bedouin list headed by Nuri al-Okbi |
| Arab List – The Centre | 1955 | General ZionistsArab satellite list |
| Arab National Party | 2006, 2015 | Formed in 1999 as a breakaway from theUnited Arab List and had two seats between 1999 and 2003. |
| Arab Reform Movement | 1977 | RatzArab satellite list |
| Socialist Union (Bund) | 1959 | |
| Beit Yisrael (House of Israel) | 1977 | |
| Bible Bloc | Apr. 2019, Sept. 2019, 2020 | |
| Black Panthers | 1973 | Headed byShalom Cohen |
| Blue White Panthers | 1973 | |
| Brit HaTzohar | 1949 | Headed byAryeh Altman[4] |
| Brit Olam | 2005, 2009, 2013, 2015, Apr. 2019 | |
| Brotherhood Movement | 1965, 1973 | |
| Casino Party | 1999 | |
| Citizen and State | 2003 | Party was taken over byAvraham Poraz prior to the 2006 elections and rebranded asHetz |
| Council to Rescue the Homeland | 1981 | |
| Da'am Workers Party | 1996, 1999, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2013, Sept. 2019, 2020 | Also known as the Organisastion for Democratic Action |
| Democratura | 2015 | |
| Derekh Aretz | 1988 | |
| Do Kiyum BeTzedek (Coexistence in Justice) | 1977 | Arab list headed based in Galilee headed by Hafez Mahmoud Shelby |
| Economy Party | 2013 | Headed byYulia Shamalov-Berkovich |
| Eretz Hadasha (New Country) | 2013 | Anti-corruption party headed by Eldad Yaniv.[5] |
| Flower Party | 2015 | Accused byYachad as being a satellite list ofShas, as it used the same ballot symbol asOtzma Yehudit which ran on a joint list withYachad. |
| For Jerusalem | 1949 | Headed byDaniel Auster |
| For New Immigrants and Demobilized Soldiers | 1951 | |
| Geulat Yisrael | 1992 | Formed in 1990 as a breakaway fromAgudat Yisrael and held a single seat going into the 1992 elections. |
| Handicapped Organisation | 1984 | |
| Has Mas | 1984 | |
| Hatikva (The Hope) | 1992 | Headed byCharlie Biton |
| HaYisraelim (The Israelis) | 2009, 2013 | Founded by Gideon Doron, a professor of political science at Tel Aviv University and president of the Israeli Association of Political Science. In the 2009 elections it focussed on political reform, mainly introducing regional elections, the appointment of ministers who were experts in their area of responsibility, establishment of a constitution and equal representation of men and women. For the 2013 elections it was taken over by David Cone, a TV journalist withChannel 9 and focussed on the rights of new immigrants. |
| Hofesh (Freedom) | 1977 | Headed byShalom Cohen |
| Holocaust Handicapped and Injured Faction | 1959 | |
| Holocaust Survivors and Grown-Up Green Leaf Party | 2009 | An alliance of some members ofAle Yarok and members of the "New Zionism" party, whose head was aHolocaust survivor and an activist for legalising cannabis, the main campaign issue for Ale Yarok.[6] |
| Hope for Change | 2013, 2015 | |
| Ihud Bnei HaBrit | Apr. 2019, Sep. 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 | Christian Arab party |
| Independence | 1981, 1984 | |
| Independent Faction for Israeli Arabs | 1959 | Headed byMasaad Kassis,MapaiArab satellite list |
| Independents | 1959 | |
| Initiative – Independents Movement | 1981 | |
| Israeli Arab Labour Party | 1959 | Ahdut HaAvodaArab satellite list |
| Israeli Arab List | 1973 | LikudArab satellite list |
| Justice for All | 2019 | Animal rights Party |
| Koah HaKesef (Power of Money) | 1996, 2006, 2009 | Established as the Settlement Party in 1996 following economic crises in manykibbutzim. However, following a deal signed in the same year between thegovernment, theKibbutz Movement and the banks, the party's activity ceased. Contested the 2006 elections as HaLev and the 2009 elections as Koah HaKesef. |
| Koah LeHashpi'a (Power to Influence) | 2009, 2013, 2022 | Advocated greater rights for disabled citizens.[2] |
| Lahava (Flame) | 2003 | |
| Lazuz (To Move) | 2009 | Anti-corruption party, which also campaigned against high wages of executives.[2] |
| Leader | 2003, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2020 | Party name was an acronym for "Progressive Liberal Democrat Party" (Hebrew:מפלגה מתקדמת ליברלית דמוקרטית, Miflaga Mitkademet Liberalit Demokratit) |
| Lehem (Bread) | 2006, 2009 | Party name was an acronym for "United Society Warriors" (Hebrew:לוחמי חברה מאוחדים,Lohamey Hevra Meuhadim)[7] |
| Lev LaOlim (Heart to the Immigrants) | 1999, 2006, 2009 | Party for immigrants from Central Asia. Also known as "Lev". |
| Liberal–Economic Power | 2020 | Libertarian party established in 2019 by former members ofZehut; originally known as the New Liberal Party.[8] |
| Likud – Popular Economic Movement | 1955 | |
| List for Aliyah | 1981 | |
| List for the Land of Israel | 1969 | Headed byIsrael Eldad, composed of members of theMovement for Greater Israel |
| Living with Dignity | 2013, 2015 | |
| Man's Rights in the Family Party | 1996, 1999, 2003, 2006, 2009 | Contested the 1999 and 2006 elections under the name "Justice for All" |
| Moreshet Avot (Heritage of the Fathers) | 1999, 2013, 2015 | Headed byYosef Ba-Gad. Contested the 2015 elections under the name "Social Leadership". |
| Movement for Demobilised Soldiers | 1988 | |
| Movement for Democracy and Aliyah | 1992 | Russian immigrant party, commonly known as "Da" (the party's abbreviation, and the Russian word for "Yes") |
| Movement for Mortgage Affected, Homeless and Demobilised Soldiers | 1992 | |
| Movement for Moshavim | 1988 | Headed byRa'anan Naim |
| Movement for Social Equality | 1973 | Headed byAvner Shaki |
| Movement for Social Justice | 1988 | Headed byRafael Suissa |
| Movement for the Homeland | 1984 | |
| Movement for the Renewal of Social Zionism | 1977, 1984 | Headed byMordechai Ben-Porat; held a seat in the Knesset between 1983 and 1984 after Ben-Porat leftTelem |
| National Organisation for the Defence of the Tenant | 1984 | |
| National Union | 1959 | Headed byShlomo Cohen-Tzidon |
| Natural Law Party | 1992, 1999 | |
| Negev Party | 1999 | |
| Nes (Miracle) | 1965 | Headed byAbie Nathan |
| New Arab Party | 1999 | |
| New Generation | 1977 | |
| New Immigrants Front | 1959 | |
| New Immigrants' List | 1955 | |
| New Liberal Party | 1992 | Formed in 1990 as a breakaway fromLikud and held three seats going into the 1992 elections. |
| On Wheels | 1992 | |
| One Israel | 1981 | Formed byYitzhak Yitzhaky in 1980 after he leftLikud and held a single seat going into the 1981 elections. |
| Or (Light) | 2009, 2013, 2015 | Headed by Yaron Yadan, focussed on the separation of religion and state. |
| Or Movement | 1988 | |
| Original Religious List | 1955 | |
| Otzma (Strength) | 1981 | Headed byRafael Halperin |
| Oz LaAniyim (Strength to the Poor) | 2006 | |
| Peace List | 1965 | RafiArab satellite list |
| Peace List | 1969 | Headed byGadi Yatziv |
| Pensioners | 1988 | |
| Pensioners' List | 1981 | |
| Pensioners, Immigrants and Senior Citizens | 1992 | |
| Pikanti | 1992 | |
| Pirate Party | 2013, 2015, Apr. 2019, Sept. 2019, 2020 | Based on the internationalPirate Party model, and headed by former Holocaust Survivors and Ale Yarok Alumni leader Ohad Shem-Tov.[9] |
| Pnina Rosenblum | 1999 | Headed byPnina Rosenblum |
| Popular Arab Bloc | 1949 | MapamArab satellite list |
| Popular Movement | 1973 | Headed byAsher Hassin |
| Power for Pensioners | 1999 | Headed byGideon Ben-Yisrael |
| Progressive Center Party | 1999 | |
| Progressive Confederation | 1996 | |
| Progressive National Alliance | 2003 | Formed in 1999 as a breakaway from theUnited Arab List and held a single seat going into the 2003 elections. |
| Religious Sephardim List | 1961 | |
| Sephardim-Ashkenazim Unity | 1951 | Headed byEliyahu Kitov[10] |
| Sephardi National Party | 1959 | Headed byAvner Shaki |
| Shiluv | 1984 | |
| Silent Power | 1988 | |
| Social Justice | 2013 | Formed in February 2007 byArcadi Gaydamak |
| Social Leadership | 2013, 2015, Apr 2019, Sep 2019, 2020 | Led by Ilan Mashiqah Jer-Zanbar, used Moreshet Avot (former party ofYosef Ba-Gad) as ashelf party[11] |
| Socialist Revolution List | 1973 | |
| Supporters of Democracy | 1961 | |
| Tafnit (Turnaround) | 2006 | Anti-corruption party established byUzi Dayan. Merged into Likud in 2008.[12] |
| Tali | 1992 | |
| Tarshish | 1988 | Headed byMoshe Dwek |
| Telem Emuna | 1996 | Headed byYosef Azran |
| Tent Movement | 1981 | |
| The Greens | 1999, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2015 | |
| The New Zionism | 2006 | |
| Third Power | 1959 | |
| Tikva (Hope) | 1999 | |
| Torah VeAretz (Torah and Country) | 1992 | Headed byMoshe Levinger |
| Traditional Judaism List | 1949 | |
| Tzabar | 2009 | Headed byBoaz Toporovsky |
| Tzipor | 1992 | |
| U'Bizchutan (And by Their Merit) | 2015 | Party for ultra-Orthodox Jewish women. |
| Ultra-Orthodox List | 1949 | Headed byEliyahu Kitov[13] |
| Union of North African Immigrants | 1959 | |
| United List of Religious Workers | 1949 | Headed byYeshayahu Leibowitz |
| Unity – for Victor Tayar to the Knesset | 1988 | Headed byVictor Tayar |
| Unity for the Defence of New Immigrants | 1996 | Formed in 1990 as a breakaway from theAlignment and had one MK between 1990 and 1992. |
| Unity Party | 1981 | Formed in 1980 after the break-up of theLeft Camp of Israel and held two seats going into the 1981 elections. |
| We are all FriendsNa Nach | 2013, 2015 | |
| We are Brothers | 2013 | |
| Women's Party | 1977, 1992 | Founded byMarcia Freedman. Headed byRuth Rasnic in the 1992 elections |
| Workers Bloc | 1949 | MapaiArab satellite list |
| Working and Religious Women | 1949 | Headed byTova Sanhadray[14] |
| Ya'ad | 1981 | Formed in 1978 after the break-up of theDemocratic Movement for Change and held a single seat going into the 1981 elections |
| Yachad | 2015 | Founded by formerShas leaderEli Yishai. Ran on a joint list with Otzma Yehudit in the 2015 elections. |
| Yamin Yisrael | 1996 | Formed in 1995 as a breakaway fromMoledet and held one seat going into the 1996 elections |
| Yishai – Tribal Israel Together | 1988 | Headed byShimon Ben-Shlomo |
| Yisrael Aheret (Another Israel) | 2003 | |
| Yisrael HaMithadeshet | 2009 | Formed in 1999 as a breakaway fromYisrael BaAliyah and had two seats until the elections that year. |
| Yisrael Hazaka (Strong Israel) | 2009 | Breakaway from theLabor Party, headed byEfraim Sneh in 2008. Other members includedErela Golan andMichael Bar-Zohar. Focused onlaw and order.[15] |
| Yitzhak Gruenbaum List | 1949 | Headed byYitzhak Gruenbaum |
| Young Israel | 1965, 1969 | |
| Youth Movement | 1981 | |
| Za'am | 2003 | |
| Zionist Panthers | 1977 |