Mapai
Workers' Party of the Land of Israel מפלגת פועלי ארץ ישראל | |
---|---|
Alignment (1965−1968) | |
International affiliation | Socialist International |
Regional affiliation | Asian Socialist Conference |
Colours | Red |
Most MKs | 47 (1959) |
Election symbol | |
Mapai (
History
The party was founded on 5 January 1930 by the merger of the Hapoel Hatzair founded by A. D. Gordon and the original Ahdut HaAvoda (founded in 1919 from the right, more moderate, wing of the Zionist socialist Poale Zion led by David Ben-Gurion). In the early 1920s the Labor Zionist movement had founded the Histadrut Union, which dominated the Hebrew settlement economy and infrastructure, later making Mapai the dominant political faction in Zionist politics. It was also responsible for the founding of Hashomer and Haganah, the first two armed Jewish groups which secured the people and property of the new and emerging Jewish communities. By the early 1930s, David Ben-Gurion had taken over the party, and had become de facto leader of the Jewish community in Palestine (known as the Yishuv). It was a member of the Labour and Socialist International between 1930 and 1940.[9]
The party was Jewish-only until the late 1960s, with a succession of satellite parties for Israeli Arabs, including the Democratic List of Nazareth, the Democratic List for Israeli Arabs, Agriculture and Development, Progress and Work, Cooperation and Brotherhood, Progress and Development and Cooperation and Development. It supported the policy of subjecting Arab citizens to martial law, which included confining them to the towns of their residence, and allowing them to exit only with a permit granted by the Israeli authorities.[10]
Politics and government
Due to its role in emerging victorious and independent from the
In the second elections in 1951 Mapai increased its vote share to 37% (and 47 seats) despite the country's economic problems. Ben-Gurion again formed the government with the support of Mizrachi, Hapoel HaMizrachi, Agudat Yisrael, Poalei Agudat Yisrael and the three Israeli Arab parties associated with Mapai, the Democratic List for Israeli Arabs, Progress and Work and Agriculture and Development. However, he shocked the nation by resigning on 6 December 1953 in order to settle in the small Negev kibbutz of Sde Boker, and was replaced by Moshe Sharett.
The 1955 elections saw a drop in the party's support to 32% (and 40 seats), though still well ahead of the second-placed Herut (13%). Ben Gurion returned as Prime Minister, and formed a coalition with the National Religious Front (which later changed its name to the National Religious Party), Mapam, Ahdut HaAvoda, and the three Israeli Arab parties, the Democratic List for Israeli Arabs, Progress and Work and Agriculture and Development. Later the Progressive Party was also added.
In contrast to the previous one, the 1959 election saw a surge in support, as the party recorded its best electoral performance, taking 38% of the vote and 47 seats. Ben-Gurion again invited the National Religious Party, Mapam, Ahdut HaAvoda, the Progressive Party and the three Israeli Arab parties, Progress and Development, Cooperation and Brotherhood and Agriculture and Development to form the coalition.
The inquiry into the Lavon Affair which brought down the government in 1961 probably contributed to the party's relatively poor performance in the elections in the same year, as it picked up only 35% of the vote and 42 seats. Although Ben-Gurion formed a strong coalition with the National Religious Party, Ahdut HaAvoda, Agudat Yisrael Workers, Cooperation and Brotherhood and Progress and Development, two events during the fifth Knesset led to Mapai's reducing dominance.
Firstly, Ben-Gurion resigned as head of the party citing personal reasons, though in reality he was upset at a perceived lack of support from colleagues. He set up a new party,
The party's response to the unprecedented strength of the opposition was to seek support from other parties with similar ideologies. The result was an alliance with Ahdut HaAvoda to form the
Party leaders
General Secretaries
- 1930–1954 – David Ben-Gurion
- 1954–1955 – Moshe Sharett
- 1955–1963 – David Ben-Gurion
- 1963–1968 – Levi Eshkol
Selection of party leaders
Until 1963, the party had no formal rules to govern the selection of its leader. From the party's establishment, David Ben-Gurion was long the unchallenged leader of the party. Even in his brief 1954–1955 retirement (during which Moshe Sharett served as the official party leader), Ben-Gurion was still largely considered the de facto party boss. After Ben-Gurion retired again in 1963, informal consultations by the party's leading figures resulted in an informal consensus to appoint Levi Eshkol as leader, and this choice was ratified by the party's Central Committee. Soon after becoming party leader, Eshkol successfully pushed the party to amend its constitution to state that the party's candidate for the office of prime minister (its leader) would be selected by the party's Central Committee. Thus, when Ben-Gurion unsuccessfully attempted to retake party leadership in 1965, there was a formal leadership election held by a vote of the party's Central Committee. [13]
Election results
Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Leader |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1931 | 21,497 (#1) | 43.5 | 27 / 71
|
New | David Ben-Gurion |
1944 | 73,367 (#1) | 36.5 | 64 / 171
|
37 | David Ben-Gurion |
1949
|
155,274 (#1) | 35.7 | 46 / 120
|
18 | David Ben-Gurion |
1951 | 256,456 (#1) | 37.3 | 45 / 120
|
1 | David Ben-Gurion |
1955 | 274,735 (#1) | 32.2 | 40 / 120
|
5 | David Ben-Gurion |
1959 | 370,585 (#1) | 38.2 | 47 / 120
|
7 | David Ben-Gurion |
1961 | 349,330 (#1) | 34.7 | 42 / 120
|
5 | David Ben-Gurion |
1965 | Part of the Labor Alignment | 37 / 120
|
5 | Levi Eshkol |
References
- ISBN 9780429964718. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- ^ Jones, Clive A. (2013). Soviet Jewish Aliyah, 1989–1992: Impact and Implications for Israel and the Middle East. Routledge. p. 61.
[...] Mapai, the democratic socialist party of David Ben Gurion.
- ISBN 9780275968861. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- ISBN 978-1-317-58450-6.
- ^ "Reshaping the Political Order in Israel, 1965–1967". JSTOR. 3 November 2018.
Israel's two main left-wing parties, Mapai and Ahdut HaAvodah.
- ^ "Beba Idelson". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- ^ "National Labour Law Profile: The State of Israel". www.ilo.org. 2011-06-17. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- OCLC 302106079.
- , retrieved 2021-02-26
- ISBN 9781429911672.
- OCLC 1183600724, retrieved 2021-02-26
- ^ "Israel - Welfare". www.country-data.com. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- JSTOR 41805011. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
External links
- Worker's Party of Eretz Yisrael (Mapai) Knesset website