Part ofa series on
Liberalism in Israel
Ideologies Classical Conservative Zionism Reform Revisionist General National Neo Progressivism Social
Principles Civil and political rights Due process Equality before the law Freedom economic press religion speech Human rights Liberal democracy Jewish and democratic state Popular sovereignty Rule of law Secularism conscription of Haredi Social justice
History Oslo Accords 2011 social justice protests 2020–2021 Balfour Protests 2023 judicial reform protests
People Avineri Dayan Elad-Appelbaum Eldar Gantz Gavison Grossman Halevi Lapid Levy Livni Olmert Peres Rubinstein Scheindlin Taub Schwartz Tichon Weizmann Wilf
Parties Active Blue and White The Democrats Israel Democratic Party Likud (historically) Shinui Telem Yesh Atid Defunct Democratic Movement for Change General Zionists Gesher Hatnua Hetz Independent Liberals Israeli Liberal Party Kadima Kulanu Progressive Party Yahad
Alliances Alignment Blue and White National Unity
Organisations Association for Civil Rights in Israel Israel Democracy Institute Mitvim Molad New Jewish Narrative(USA) Peace Now Shalom Hartman Institute Zulat for Equality and Human Rights
Media Haaretz
Related topics Anarchism in Israel Anti-clericalism Israeli–Palestinian peace process Two-state solution Jewish left Liberal hawk Progressive except Palestine Politics of Israel Conservatism
Liberalism portal Israel portal
v t e

Liberalism inIsrael has played a role since the country's founding.^[1]

Several liberalpolitical parties have claimed substantial popular support, mainly proved by having representation in theKnesset. While liberalism is usually suspicious of nationalism, Jewish liberals in Israel generally support some form ofZionism. They tend to be more receptive towards aTwo-state solution.

Conservative liberals (seeGeneral Zionists,Liberal Party) were founding members of theLikud, the country's main conservative party, whilesocial liberals (seeProgressive Party,Independent Liberals) were integrated in the social-democraticLabor Party. Later on, a long-time liberal,anti-clerical and pro-free market party wasShinui, a member of theLiberal International. More recently,Kadima was a broad liberal and centrist party, integrating politicians from the left and the right.

Current liberal (andliberal Zionist) parties areYesh Atid and theResilience Party (Blue and White).New Hope is a national-liberal party. By contrast,Balad draws upon liberal values in its aim to eliminate discrimination againstArab citizens and redefine Israel as a state for all its citizens rather than a "Jewish and democratic state", but it is asecular party rather than a liberal one.

• 1922: Centrists in theWorld Zionist Organization form theGeneral Zionists.^{[2][3][4][5][6]}
• 1931: The General Zionists split in "Faction A" and "Faction B".^[2]
• 1945: Factions A and B of the General Zionists merge.^[2]
• 1951: The party wins 16.2% of the vote and 20 seats in thegeneral election.
• 1961: The party merges with theProgressive Party (PP) to become theIsraeli Liberal Party (LP),^[7][8][9] which wins 13.6% of the vote and 17 seats in thegeneral election.
• 1965: The LP splits with the conservative majority joiningHerut to formGahal,^[10] eventually becomingLikud,^[11][12] and the leftist faction forming theIndependent Liberals.
• 1988: The LP and Herut formally merge transforming Likud from an electoral coalition to a unitary political party.

• 1948: TheProgressive Party (PP) is formed.^[8][13]
• 1961: The PP merges with theGeneral Zionists to become theLiberal Party (LP).^[8]
• 1965: TheIndependent Liberals are founded by splinters from the LP.^[14][15]
• 1984: The party joins theAlignment electoral list.
• 1991: The party is formally merged into theLabor Party.

• 1973:Amnon Rubinstein formsShinui.^[16][17]
• 1976: Shinui merges with other minor liberal parties to become theDemocratic Movement for Change (Dash).^[16][18]
• 1977: Dash wins 11.6% of the vote and 15 seats in thegeneral election.
• 1978: Dash splits into theDemocratic Movement and the Movement for Change and Initiative.
• 1981: The Movement for Change and Initiative renames itself Shinui.
• 1988: Shinui is renamed Shinui–Center Party.^[17]
• 1992: The party merges withMapam andRatz to formMeretz,^[16][19] a social-democratic party.
• 1998:Avraham Poraz leads a split from Meretz and recreates Shinui as an independent party.
• 1999:Tommy Lapid is invited by Poraz to head Shinui.
• 2003: The party wins 12.3% of the vote and 15 seats in thegeneral election.
• 2006: Lapid leaves Shinui and Poraz formsHetz.^[20]
• 2006: Both Shinui and Hetz fail to win any seats in thegeneral election.^[20]
• 2012: Poraz allowsTzipi Livni to use the Hetz's infrastructure to base her new party,Hatnua.^[20]
• 2012:Yair Lapid, Tommy's son, launchesYesh Atid.^[1]
• 2013: In thegeneral election Yesh Atid wins 14.3% and 19 seats.
• 2015: In thegeneral election Yesh Atid is reduced to 8.8% of the vote and 11 seats.
• 2018:Benny Gantz launches theHosen, a broad centrist party whose economic goals are liberal.^[21]Orly Levy, a splinter fromYisrael Beiteinu, formsGesher.
• 2019: In the run-up of theApril general election Yesh Atid, Hosen and the newly-formedTelem, led by former Likud ministerMoshe Ya'alon, join forces intoBlue and White. The list wins 26.1% and 35 seats, while Gesher 1.7% and no seats. In theSeptember general election the Blue and White list comes first with 26.1% and 33 seats, while Gesher obtains one seat for its leader Levy in alliance with theLabor Party.
• 2020: In thegeneral election Blue and White increases its tallies to 26.6% and 33 seats, but comes second after Likud. After the election, Blue and White splits over the formation of a national-unity government along with Likud: Hosen, which retains the "Blue and White" name, on one side, Yesh Atid and Telem on the other. In the event, a minority faction of Telem splits and formsDerekh Eretz, supporting the national-unity government along with Hosen. In December Derekh Eretz joinsNew Hope. Also in DecemberOfer Shelah, a splinter from Yesh Atid, announces his intent of forming a new political party namedTnufa, while, on the left,Tel Aviv mayorRon Huldai leaves theLabor Party to launchThe Israelis, which was joined also by leading splinters from Hosen / Blue and White.
• 2021: In the run-up of thegeneral election Yesh Atid and Telem part ways, and the latter finally drops out. In the election Yesh Atid wins 13.9% and 17 seats, Blue and White 6.6% and 8 seats, New Hope 4.7% and 6 seats. All three parties go on to be part of the36th government of Israel, with Yesh Atid being the largest faction.

• 2005:Ariel Sharon,Prime Minister and leader of the Likud, leaves the party and formsKadima largely to support theunilateral disengagement plan from theGaza Strip and is soon joined by like-minded politicians from theLabor Party, notably includingShimon Peres, and other parties.
• 2006: Sharon suffers a massive stroke, but Kadima, led byEhud Olmert, wins thegeneral election with 22.0% of the vote and 29 seats. Olmert is Prime Minister.
• 2009: Kadima, led byTzipi Livni, comes first thegeneral election with 22.5% of the vote and 28 seats, but Livni fails to form a government.
• 2013: Kadima, which has suffered the split ofHatnua, is reduced to 2.1% of the vote and 2 seats in thegeneral election. Hatnuah gets 5.0% and 6 seats.
• 2014: Hatnuah joins theZionist Union list, along with theLabor Party and theGreen Movement.
• 2014:Moshe Kahlon, a splinter fromLikud, launchesKulanu. Kadima, whose latest leader has joined the brand-new Kulanu, withdraws from the next election.
• 2015: In thegeneral election Hatnuah wins 6 seats from the Zionist Union list and Kulanu wins 7.5% and 10 seats.
• 2019: In the run-up of theApril general election Hatnuah announces withdrawal and the party is dissolved with Livni's retirement from electoral politics. Kulanu wins 3.5% and 4 seats. Kulanu does not contest theSeptember general election, after agreements with Likud. Kulanu gets one seat from Likud's list.
• 2020: In thegeneral election Kulanu gets one seat from Likud's list. In DecemberGideon Sa'ar, a splinter from Likud, launchesNew Hope. Kulanu's latest leader joins New Hope.
• 2021: In thegeneral election New Hope wins 4.7% and 6 seats.

• 2015: After the election,Moshe Feiglin leads hisfaction out of Likud and forms the (right-)libertarianZehut.
• 2019: In the run-up of theApril general election Zehut receives 2.7% and no seats. Zehut does not contest theSeptember general election, after agreements with Likud.
• 2020: Before thegeneral election Zehut stays out the election.
• 2021: Feiglin rejoins Likud.

• 2013: WithinLikud, "Likud Liberals" (He) is established to push issues ofindividual freedom andeconomic liberalism. The group supports candidatesSharren Haskel (nowNew Hope) andAmir Ohana, who push liberal issues.^[22]
• 2019: WithinMeretz, "Meretz Liberals" is established to pushindividual freedom,economic freedom andpolitical freedom (including ending theIsraeli Military Governorate in theWest Bank).^[23] The group also pushes for a repeal of theConscription law,School choice, reduction of importtariffs, reduction ofregulation,separation of church and state, establishing aconstitution for Israel, and lowering theelectoral threshold.^[24]

• Haaretz

• Conservatism in Israel
• Jewish left
• Liberal hawk
• Progressive except Palestine
• History of Israel
• Politics of Israel
• List of political parties in Israel

• Liberalism in Israel
• Liberalism by country
• Politics of Israel

• CS1 uses Hebrew-language script (he)
• CS1 Hebrew-language sources (he)
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata