# List of political parties in Israel

Israel's political system is based on proportional representation and allows for a multi-party system with numerous parties represented in the 120-seat Knesset.
A typical Knesset includes many factions represented. This is because of the low election threshold required for a seat – 1 percent of the vote from 1949 to 1992, 1.5 percent from 1992 to 2003, 2 percent from 2003 to 2014, and 3.25 percent since 2015. In the 2015 elections, for instance, ten parties or alliances cleared the threshold, and five of them won at least ten seats. The low threshold, in combination with the nationwide party-list system, makes it all but impossible for a single party to win the 61 seats needed for a majority government. No party has ever won a majority of seats in an election, the most being 56, won by the Alignment grouping in the 1969 elections (the Alignment had briefly held a majority of seats before the elections, following its formation in January 1969).
As a result, while only four parties (or their antecedents) have ever led governments, all Israeli governments, as of 2024, have been coalitions comprising two or more parties.

## Current parties
### Parties represented in the Knesset

The following parties are represented following the 2022 election:
| Party or alliance | Party or alliance | Party or alliance | Ideology | Political position | Symbol | Leader | Knesset | Status |
| Likud | Likud | Likud | ZionismConservatismNational conservatismRight-wing populism | Right-wing | מחל‎ م‌ح‌ل‎ | Benjamin Netanyahu | 32 / 120 | Government |
| Yesh Atid | Yesh Atid | Yesh Atid | Liberal ZionismAnti-clericalismSecularismTwo-state solution | Centre | פה‎ ف‌ه‎ | Yair Lapid | 24 / 120 | Opposition |
| Shas | Shas | Shas | Religious ZionismSephardic and Mizrahi interestsHaredi interestsHalachic state | Social: Right-wing Fiscal: Centre-left | שס‎ ش‌س‎ | Aryeh Deri | 11 / 120 | Government |
| National Unity | | Blue and White Israel Resilience Party | Liberal Zionism | Centre | כן‎ ك‌ن‎ | Benny Gantz | 8 / 120 | Opposition |
| Mafdal – Religious Zionism | Mafdal – Religious Zionism | Mafdal – Religious Zionism | Religious ZionismReligious conservatismSocial conservatism | Far-right | ט‎ ط‎ | Bezalel Smotrich | 7 / 120 | Government |
| United Torah Judaism | | Agudat Yisrael | Religious conservatismSocial conservatism | Right-wing | ג‎ ج‎ | Moshe Gafni | 7 / 120 | Government |
| United Torah Judaism | | Degel HaTorah | Religious conservatismSocial conservatism | Right-wing | ג‎ ج‎ | Moshe Gafni | 7 / 120 | Government |
| Otzma Yehudit | Otzma Yehudit | Otzma Yehudit | Kahanism Ultranationalism Jewish supremacism | Far-right | | Itamar Ben-Gvir | 6 / 120 | Government |
| Yisrael Beiteinu | Yisrael Beiteinu | Yisrael Beiteinu | Revisionist ZionismNationalismConservatismRussian Jewish interests | Right-wing | ל‎ ل‎ | Avigdor Lieberman | 6 / 120 | Opposition |
| United Arab List | United Arab List | United Arab List | IslamismConservatism | | עם‎ ع‌م‎‎ | Mansour Abbas | 5 / 120 | Opposition |
| Hadash– Ta'al | | Hadash (Maki) | Israeli Arab interestsSecularismProgressivismCommunism (faction) | Far-left | ום‎ و‌م‎‎ | Ayman Odeh | 5 / 120 | Opposition |
| Hadash– Ta'al | | Ta'al | Israeli Arab interestsSecularismProgressivismCommunism (faction) | Far-left | ום‎ و‌م‎‎ | Ayman Odeh | 5 / 120 | Opposition |
| The Democrats | The Democrats | The Democrats | Social democracyZionismLiberalism | Centre-left to left-wing | | Yair Golan | 4 / 120 | Opposition |
| New Hope | New Hope | New Hope | ZionismEconomic liberalism | Right-wing | ת‎ ت‎ | Gideon Sa'ar | 4 / 120 | Government |
| Noam | Noam | Noam | Religious ZionismAnti-LGBTFundamentalism | Far-right | כ‎ | Avi Maoz | 1 / 120 | Government |
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 Part of the national camp.
* ↑ Elected as Israeli Labor Party MKs. In July 2024, Labor merged with Meretz to form The Democrats.

### Other parties

The following parties do not have Knesset seats at present:
* Ahrayut
* Ale Yarok
* Am Shalem
* Ani Veata (Me and You) — The Israeli People's Party
* Arab Democratic Party
* Balad
* Bible Bloc
* Brit Olam
* Da'am Workers Party, Organization for Democratic Action
* Derekh Eretz
* Dor
* Eretz Hadasha
* Green Party
* HaYisraelim
* Ihud Bnei HaBrit (United Allies)
* Israel Hofsheet (Israel Free)
* Kadima (held seats from 2005 to 2015)
* Koah HaKesef
* Koah LeHashpi'a
* Lazuz
* Leader
* Lehem
* Lev LaOlim
* Man's Rights in the Family Party
* Magen Yisrael (Shield of Israel)
* Mahane Yehuda — Royalist Party of Israel
* Meimad (held seats between 1999 and 2009 as part of the One Israel alliance)
* New Horizon
* New Right
* Or
* Piratim — The Pirate Party of Israel
* Rappeh — a political party protesting COVID restrictions.
* Shavim (Community) — Founded in 2018 as an LGBT party
* Telem
* The Greens
* Tzeirim Boarim (Youths on Fire) — A big tent party founded in 2022 by Hadar Muchtar with the purpose of combating the rising cost of living.
* Tzomet (held seats between 1987 and 1999; for the 1996 elections, it formed a joint "National Camp List" with Likud and Gesher)
* U'Bizchutan — founded in 2015 as an ultra-Orthodox Jewish women's party
* Yachad
* Yisrael Hazaka
* Yisrael HaMithadeshet
* Zehut

## Former parties
### Parties formerly represented in the Knesset

| Party | First Knesset | Last Knesset | Notes | Ideology |
| Agriculture and Development | 2nd | 4th | Arab satellite list | Israeli Arab interest |
| Ahi | 16th | 17th | Breakaway from the National Religious Party, joined the National Union alliance (2006–2008), merged into Likud | Religious Zionism |
| Ahdut HaAvoda | 2nd | 5th | Merged into the Labor Party | Labor Zionism |
| Ahva | 9th | 9th | Breakaway from the Democratic Movement | |
| Alignment | 6th | 12th | Became the Labor Party | Labor Zionism |
| Aliya | 14th | 14th | Breakaway from Yisrael BaAliyah | |
| Arab Democratic Party | 11th | 13th | Breakaway from the Alignment, merged into the United Arab List | Israeli Arab interests |
| Arab List for Bedouin and Villagers | 8th | 8th | Arab satellite list; merged into the United Arab List (1977) | Israeli Arab interests |
| Atid | 13th | 13th | Breakaway from Yiud | Liberalism |
| Balad | 14th | 24th | Arab political party | Palestinian nationalism |
| Black Panthers | 12th | 12th | Breakaway from Hadash |
| Centre Party | 14th | 15th | Breakaway from Likud, Tzomet and Labor Party |
| Cooperation and Brotherhood | 4th | 7th | Arab satellite list | Israeli Arab interest |
| Cooperation and Development | 6th | 6th | Arab satellite list; merger of Cooperation and Brotherhood and Progress and Development, demerged soon after | Israeli Arab interest |
| Dash | 9th | 9th | Disbanded into the Democratic Movement, Shinui, and Ya'ad |
| Democratic Choice | 15th | 15th | Breakaway from Yisrael BaAliyah, merged into Meretz-Yachad |
| Democratic List for Israeli Arabs | 2nd | 3rd | Arab satellite list | Israeli Arab interest |
| Democratic Movement | 9th | 9th | Emerged from the break-up of Dash |
| Development and Peace | 9th | 9th | |
| Druze Faction | 6th | 6th | Breakaway from Cooperation and Brotherhood, merged into Progress and Development |
| Faction independent of Ahdut HaAvoda | 2nd | 2nd | Breakaway from Mapam, merged into Mapai |
| Fighters' List | 1st | 1st | |
| Free Centre | 6th | 8th | Breakaway from Herut in 6th Knesset, breakaway from Likud in 8th Knesset |
| Gahal | 5th | 7th | Became Likud |
| General Zionists | 1st | 4th | Merged into the Liberal Party |
| Gesher | 13th | 15th | Breakaway from Likud, merged back into Likud |
| Gesher – Zionist Religious Centre | 10th | 10th | Breakaway from National Religious Party, merged back into NRP |
| Geulat Yisrael | 10th | 10th | Breakaway from Agudat Yisrael |
| HaOlim | 16th | 16th | Breakaway from Shinui, merged into Yisrael Beiteinu |
| Hapoel HaMizrachi | 2nd | 2nd | Merged into the National Religious Party |
| Hebrew Communists | 1st | 1st | Breakaway from Maki, merged into Mapam |
| Herut | 1st | 5th | Merged into Gahal |
| Herut – The National Movement | 14th | 15th | Breakaway from Likud, joined National Union alliance, ran unsuccessfully in the following two elections and merged back into Likud | Revisionist Zionism |
| HaTzeirim | 14th | 14th | Breakaway from the Centre Party, merged into Shinui |
| Independent Liberals | 5th | 9th | Breakaway from the Liberal Party, merged into the Alignment |
| Independent Socialist Faction | 8th | 8th | Breakaway from Ya'ad – Civil Rights Movement |
| Jewish–Arab Brotherhood | 6th | 6th | Breakaway from Progress and Development, merged into Cooperation and Brotherhood |
| The Jewish Home | 18th | 23rd | Dissolved on 20 August 2023, Merged into National Religious Party–Religious Zionism | Religious Zionism |
| Justice for the Elderly | 17th | 17th | Breakaway from Gil, merged back into Gil |
| Kach | 11th | 11th | Party banned | Religious Zionism, Kahanism |
| Labor | 7th | 25th | Formed by merger of Mapai, Ahdut HaAvoda, and Rafi, merged with Meretz in 2024 to form The Democrats | Labor Zionism, social democracy |
| Left Camp of Israel | 9th | 9th | |
| Left Faction | 2nd | 2nd | Breakaway from Mapam |
| Lev | 15th | 15th | Breakaway from the Centre Party, merged into Likud |
| Liberal Party | 4th | 5th | Merged into Gahal |
| Maki (original) | 1st | 7th | Merged into Moked |
| Mapai | 1st | 5th | Merged into the Labor Party |
| Mapam | 1st | 12th | Merged into Meretz | Socialist Zionism |
| Mekhora | 14th | 14th | Breakaway from Tzomet, merged into Moledet |
| Meretz | 13th | 25th | Merger of Ratz, Mapam, Shinui. Merged with Israeli Labor Party to form The Democrats. | Labor Zionism, social democracy, leftism |
| Meri | 6th | 7th | Originally named HaOlam HaZeh – Koah Hadash (until 1973) |
| Mizrachi | 2nd | 2nd | Merged into the National Religious Party |
| Moked | 7th | 8th | Merged into the Left Camp of Israel |
| Morasha | 11th | 11th | |
| Moria | 12th | 12th | Breakaway from Shas |
| Movement for the Renewal of Social Zionism | 10th | 10th | Breakaway from Telem |
| National Home | 16th | 16th | Breakaway from the Secular Faction |
| National List | 7th | 9th | Merged into Likud |
| National Religious Party | 3rd | 17th | Disbanded when The Jewish Home formed | Religious Zionism |
| New Liberal Party | 12th | 12th | Breakaway from Likud |
| New Way | 15th | 15th | Breakaway from the Centre Party |
| Noy | 16th | 16th | Breakaway from One Nation, merged into Kadima |
| Ometz | 9th | 11th | Breakaway from Likud, merged into Telem, broke away again, merged into Likud |
| One Israel (1980) | 9th | 9th | Breakaway from Likud |
| One Israel | 15th | 15th | Joint list of Labor Party, Meimad and Gesher |
| One Nation | 14th | 16th | Merged into the Labor Party |
| Poalei Agudat Yisrael | 2nd | 9th | |
| Progress and Development | 4th | 8th | Arab satellite list; merged into the United Arab List (1977) |
| Progress and Work | 2nd | 3rd | Arab satellite list |
| Progressive List for Peace | 11th | 12th | |
| Progressive National Alliance | 15th | 15th | Breakaway from the United Arab List |
| Progressive Party | 1st | 4th | Merged into the Liberal Party |
| Rafi | 5th | 6th | Breakaway from Mapai, merged into the Labor Party |
| Ratz | 8th | 12th | Merged into Meretz |
| Religious Torah Front | 3rd | 4th | Broke up into Agudat Yisrael and Poalei Agudat Yisrael |
| Secular Faction | 16th | 16th | Breakaway from Shinui |
| Sephardim and Oriental Communities | 1st | 2nd | Merged into the General Zionists |
| Shinui | 9th | 16th | Majority of representatives split to form Secular Faction |
| Shlomtzion | 9th | 9th | Merged into Likud |
| Tami | 10th | 11th | Breakaway from the National Religious Party, merged into the Likud |
| Tehiya | 9th | 12th | Breakaway from Likud |
| Telem | 9th | 10th | Breakaway from Likud |
| The Right Way | 17th | 17th | Breakaway from Justice for the Elderly |
| The Third Way | 13th | 14th | Breakaway from the Labor Party |
| Tkuma | 14th | 17th | Breakaway from the National Religious Party, joined the National Union alliance in 1999, disbanded in 2008. | Religious Zionism |
| Tzalash | 16th | 16th | Breakaway from Shinui |
| United Arab List (1977) | 8th | 9th | Merger of the Arab List for Bedouins and Villagers and Progress and Development (not related to contemporary United Arab List) |
| United Religious Front | 1st | 1st | Broke up into Agudat Yisrael, Poalei Agudat Yisrael, Mizrachi and Hapoel HaMizrachi |
| Unity for Peace and Immigration | 12th | 12th | Breakaway from the Alignment, merged into Likud |
| Unity Party | 9th | 9th | Breakaway from Dash and the Left Camp of Israel |
| WIZO | 1st | 1st | WIZO incorporated the Union of Hebrew Women for Equal Rights in Eretz Israel (he), also known as the Women's Union, which had won seats in the Old Yishuv elections. |
| Ya'ad | 9th | 9th | Emerged from the break-up of Dash |
| Ya'ad – Civil Rights Movement | 8th | 8th | Merger of Ratz and one other MK, split into Ratz and the Independent Socialist Faction |
| Yachad | 11th | 11th | Merged into the Alignment |
| Yemenite Association | 1st | 2nd | Merged into the General Zionists but broke away later |
| Yisrael BaAliyah | 14th | 16th | Merged into Likud |
| Yiud | 13th | 13th | Breakaway from Tzomet |

### Parties that failed to win seats in the Knesset

| Name | Letter | Political position | Notes |
| Hatzohar | ג‎ | Right-wing | Original Revisionist Zionist party, disbanded after failing to cross the electoral threshold in the 1949 elections. |
| Popular Arab Bloc | ת‎ | Left-wing | Arab satellite list that ran in the 1949 elections. Affiliated with Mapam |
| Tafnit | פ‎ | Centre | Ran in the 2006 elections. |
| Women's Party | נס‎ | Centre-left to Left-wing | Ran in the 1977 elections. |
| Yamin Yisrael | יד‎ | Right-wing | Broke away from Moledet, another right-wing party, prior to the 1996 elections, but failed to cross the electoral threshold. |
| The Arab List - The Center | צח‎ | Centre | Arab satellite list that ran in the 1955 elections. Affiliated with General Zionists |

### Family tree of parties in Israel

| Left-wing and Labor Zionist Hapoel HatzairPoale ZionHashomer Hatzair Ahdut HaAvodaPoale Zion Left Palestine Communist Party MapaiHashomer Hatzair Workers PartyMaki Ahdut HaAvoda Mapam RafiAhdut HaAvodaLeft Faction Israeli Labor PartyRatzMokedMeri Sheli Meretz One NationShahar Israel Democratic Party The Democrats The main predecessors of The Democrats except Shinui which left Meretz. | Secular right and centre Yemenite AssociationSephardim and Oriental CommunitiesGeneral ZionistsHaOved HaTzioniNew Aliyah PartyHatzohar Progressive PartyHerut Yemenite Faction Israeli Liberal Party Independent LiberalsGahal National ListFree CentreMovement for Greater Israel ShinuiShlomtzionLikudMovement for the Renewal of Social ZionismFlatto-Sharon DashTehiyaOmetz ShinuiTzomet New Liberal PartyYisrael BaAliyahGesherThird Way Yisrael BeiteinuCenter Party Kadima Yesh AtidHatnua KulanuZehut Israel Resilience PartyGesher New Hope Also includes the General Zionist ancestors of Likud. | Religious Zionist MizrachiHapoel HaMizrachi Mafdal TamiKach MeimadMoledet TkumaYamin YisraelHerut AhiHayil The Jewish HomeHatikvaEretz Yisrael Shelanu National Union–TkumaOtzma YehuditYachad New RightNoam YaminaReligious Zionist Party Mafdal–Religious Zionism The main predecessors of National Religious Party–Religious Zionism. It only shows the periods where each party was active as an independent movement and not as shelf parties. |

## Name changes

The following parties changed their names
* Banai became Tehiya-Bnai, then Tehiya
* Emunim became Tkuma
* Equality in Israel-Panthers became the Unity Party
* Flatto-Sharon became Development and Peace
* Hitkhabrut became the Renewed Religious National Zionist Party, then Ahi
* Israel in the Centre became the Centre Party
* Meretz became Yachad, then Meretz-Yachad, then Meretz again
* Movement for Change and Initiative became Shinui
* Mizrachi-Hapoel HaMizrachi became the National Religious Front, then National Religious Party, then The Jewish Home
* National Responsibility became Kadima
* National Unity - National Progressive Alliance became Progressive National Alliance
* Parliamentary Group of Bronfman and Tsinker became Makhar, then the Democratic Choice
* Party for the Advancement of the Zionist Idea became the New Liberal Party
* Rafi – National List became Ometz
* Rakah became Maki
* Secular Faction became Hetz
* Social-Democratic Faction became the Independent Socialist Faction
* Shinui - Centre Party became Shinui - the Secular Movement, then Shinui - Party for the Secular and the Middle Class, but is generally known as Shinui

## Zionist youth movements

| Name | Meaning | Movement | Association | Notes |
| Betar | League of Joseph Trumpeldor | Revisionist | Likud | Historically associated with Herut, and now Likud. |
| Bnei Akiva | Sons of Akiva | Religious | The Jewish Home | Historically associated with Mafdal, and now The Jewish Home. |
| Habonim Dror | The Builders of Freedom | Labor | Labor Party | Associated with the Labor Zionism and the United Kibbutz Movement, and unofficially with the Israeli Labor Party. |
| Hashomer Hatzair | The Young Guard | Labor | Meretz | Associated with the left faction of Labor Zionism, historically associated with Mapam and the Kibbutz Artzi movement, and unofficially with Meretz. |
| HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed | The Working and Learning Youth | Labor | Labor Party | Associated with the Labor Zionist movement, Histadrut, and unofficially with the Israeli Labor Party. |
| Meretz Youth | Meretz Youth | Labor | Meretz | Youth wing of Meretz (under 18), now associated with The Democrats |
| Noar HaAvoda | Labor Youth | Labor | Labor Party | Young-wing of the Israeli Labor Party (under 18), now associated with The Democrats. |
| Noar HaIhud HaLeumi | National Union Youth | Religious | Religious Zionist | Youth wing of the Religious Zionist Party. |
| Noar HaGvaot | Hilltop Youth | Religious | Otzma Yehudit | Historically associated with Kach, and its various successor parties. |
| Noar Yesh Atid | Yesh Atid Youth | Liberal | Yesh Atid | Youth wing of Yesh Atid (under 18). |
| HaMahanot HaOlim | The Immigrants Camps | Labor | None | Associated with the Labor Zionist movement. |
| HaNoar HaTzioni | The Zionist Youth | Liberal | None | Historically associated with the General Zionists. |
| Ariel | Lion of God | Religious | Religious Zionist | Split from Bnei Akiva, unofficially associated with Religious Zionist Party. |
| HaNoar HaDati HaOved VeHaLomed | The Religious Working and Studying Youth | Religious | None | Founded in 1952, historically associated with Hapoel HaMizrachi. |
| Noar HaLikud [he] | The Likud Youth | Revisionist | Likud | Youth wing of Likud (under 18). |
| Young Meretz | Young Meretz | Labor | Meretz | Young-wing of Meretz (18-35). |