Israeli legislative election, 1977

Israeli legislative election, 1977

1973 ← 17 May 1977 → 1981

All 120 seats to the Knesset 61 seats were needed for a majority   First party Second party Third party   Leader Menachem Begin Shimon Peres Yigael Yadin Party Likud Alignment Dash Leader since 1973 1977 1976 Last election 39 seats, 30.2% 51 seats, 39.6% Seats won 43 32 15 Seat change 4 19 Popular vote 583,968 430,023 202,265 Percentage 33.4% 24.6% 11.6%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Zevulun Hammer Meir Vilner Yehuda Meir Abramowicz Party National Religious Party Hadash Agudat Yisrael Leader since 1969/70? 1976 1948 Last election 10 seats, 8.3% 4 seats, 3.4% 3 seats, n/a Seats won 12 5 4 Seat change 2 1 1 Popular vote 160,787 80,118 58,652 Percentage 9.2% 4.6 3.3%

Prime Minister before election Yitzhak Rabin Alignment Prime Minister Menachem Begin Likud

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The Elections for the ninth Knesset were held on 17 May 1977. For the first time in Israeli political history, the right-wing, led by Likud, won the election, ending almost 30 years of rule by the left-wing Alignment and its predecessor, Mapai. The dramatic shift in Israeli politics caused by the outcome led to it becoming known as "the revolution" (Hebrew: המהפך, HaMahapakh), a phrase coined by TV anchor Haim Yavin when he announced the election results live on television with the words "Ladies and gentlemen - a revolution!" (Hebrew: !גבירותי ורבותי - מהפך, Gvirotai veRabotai - Mahapakh!). The election saw the beginning of a period lasting almost two decades where the left- and right-wing blocs held roughly equal amounts of seats in the Knesset.

Voter turnout was 79.2%.^[1]

Background

The Alignment was re-elected in December 1973, following the Yom Kippur War, but continued in-fighting and investigation into Israel's preparedness led to the resignations of Prime Minister Golda Meir and Minister of Defense, Moshe Dayan the following April. This led to a power struggle between former Chief of Staff and Ambassador to the United States Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres. Rabin was elected by the party by a small margin; it was felt that the Labor Party (the major faction of the Alignment) needed a candidate untouched by the disastrous war. Rabin formed a new government on 3 June 1974, and presided uneasily over a quarrelsome coalition, with Shimon Peres as Defense Minister; their bitter feud dates from this period.^[2]

During the mid-1970s, American Secretary of State Henry Kissinger sought to progress a peace deal between Israel and the Arab countries. The Sinai Interim Agreement was signed on 4 September 1975 following a threatened 'reassessment' of the United States' regional policy and its relations with Israel. Rabin notes it was "an innocent-sounding term that heralded one of the worst periods in American-Israeli relations."^[3] Despite progress on the Egyption front, settlement activity in the West Bank increased with support from Peres and some National Religious Party members.

General strikes and protests on 30 March 1976 turned violent. Six unarmed demonstrators were killed by the IDF and police.^[4] At least 100 Arabs were wounded and many others jailed.^[5] The significant event is commemorated annually as Land Day. Despite Arab MKs being brought into the government as Deputy Ministers for the first time in the early 1970s, support for the traditional Arab political parties such as Progress and Development and the Arab List for Bedouins and Villagers, which were aligned with Mapai and the Alignment, was on the wane, as they were replaced by independent Arab parties, such as the United Arab List formed in 1977 by former members of Alignment-allied parties.

Inflation had been an issue for the government since the start of the 1970s, and worsened after the oil crisis that followed the Yom Kippur War. To try and cope with the issue, Rabin's government had devalued the lira by around 50% during its term in office.

Several corruption scandals also affected the government. The Yadlin affair of 1976 involved Asher Yadlin, a major fundraiser for the Labor Party (the major faction of the Alignment) and head of the Kupat Holim health-insurance program,^[6] who in September that year was about to be appointed Governor of the Bank of Israel. However, after Yadlin was detained by police, on 24 October the cabinet decided to appoint Arnon Gafni instead. In mid-December Yadlin was charged with taking bribes totaling I£280,000, as well as other offenses, and was remanded in custody until his trial.^[7] On 14 March 1977, Yadlin pleaded guilty to some of the charges, involving bribes totaling I£ 124,000, but claimed that he had handed over I£ 80,000 of the money to Labor Party funds, adding that he had raised "millions" for the party. The judge did not accept his claim and sentenced him to five years' imprisonment and a fine of I£ 250,000.

The Yadlin affair also brought Minister of Housing Avraham Ofer to the police's attention, In November 1976, Yigal Laviv, a correspondent of the weekly HaOlam HaZeh who had also been involved in airing the charges against Yadlin, gave the police information on 30 different matters raising suspicions of offenses committed by Ofer, including allegations of embezzlement in Shikun Ovdim funds in favor of the party. The police examined Laviv's charges, but came to the conclusion toward the end of the year that they were not substantiated, leading Ofer to expect that an official statement clearing him would soon be made. However, Attorney General Aharon Barak decided to prosecute. On 31 December, however, a witness in the Yadlin affair sent the police a statement which raised more questions for investigation, and various rumors were published about possible charges. On 2 January, Rabin and Justice Minister Haim Yosef Zadok assured Ofer that everything possible would be done to expedite the inquiry.^[8] On 3 January 1977 his body was found in his car on a Tel Aviv beach. In a suicide note Ofer said he was innocent, but did not have the strength "to bear any more." He was reported to have been particularly depressed by the lack of support from his political associates.^[8]

Towards the end of 1976, Rabin's coalition with the National Religious Party suffered a crisis: a motion of no confidence had been brought by Agudat Yisrael over a breach of the Sabbath on an Israeli Air Force base, when four F-15 jets were delivered from the US, and the NRP had abstained from the vote. Rabin dissolved his government on 22 December 1976 and decided on new elections, which were to be held in May 1977.

Party preparations

Alignment

Internal elections were held in the Labor Party on 23 February 1977, in which Rabin beat Peres by 1,445 votes to 1,404. However, on 15 March Haaretz reported that Rabin and his wife, Leah, held a US Dollar bank account, then illegal under Israeli law. Although Leah claimed responsibility, the Dollar Account affair, as it became known, resulted in Rabin's resignation from head of the Alignment list on 8 April, and his replacement as head of the Alignment list by Peres.

Likud

Although polls suggested that Likud may win a historic victory, party leader Menachem Begin suffered a heart attack shortly before the election, and did not participate in the campaign. The Likud campaign leading up to the election had centered on Begin's personality. Demonized by the Alignment as totalitarian and extremist, his self-portrayal as a humble and pious leader struck a chord with many who felt abandoned by the ruling party's ideology, particularly the predominantly Mizrahi working class living in urban neighborhoods and peripheral towns.

Dash

On 2 November 1976, former Chief of Staff Yigael Yadin announced the formation of a new party to be called Democrats - Change, later renamed the Democratic Movement for Change, known by its Hebrew acronym, Dash. It consisted of several liberal movements (including Shinui), together with numerous public figures, including Amnon Rubinstein, Shmuel Tamir, Meir Amit, Meir Zorea and several other business leaders and academics, as well as some Israeli Arabs.

Within a few weeks the party had 37,000 members, and it became the first party to hold primary elections to choose its Knesset list.

New parties

The Left Camp of Israel was formed before the elections by the merger of Meri, Moked, the Independent Socialist Faction and some members of the Black Panthers. The United Arab List had been formed by former members of the Alignment-allied Arab parties.

Businessman Shmuel Flatto-Sharon formed his own list (named after himself). Barely speaking Hebrew, Flatto-Sharon was hoping to be elected to the Knesset to avoid extradition to France, where he had been charged with embezzling $60 million.^[9] The list ran on right-wing populism (he was a supporter of the Gush Emunim settlement movement) and promises to provide apartments to young voters. Ultimately the list won enough votes for two seats, but only took one. Ariel Sharon, who had left Likud in 1975 to serve as an advisor to Rabin, formed a new party Shlomtzion, whilst Marcia Freedman, formerly a Ratz MK had formed the Women's Party

Results

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/-
Likud 1 3 4 8 10	583,968	33.4	43	+4
Alignment 6 7	430,023	24.6	32	-19
Dash 2	202,265	11.6	15	New
National Religious Party	160,787	9.2	12	+2
Hadash	80,118	4.6	5	+1
Agudat Yisrael	58,652	3.3	4	+1
Flatto-Sharon 11	35,049	2.0	1	New
Shlomtzion 1	33,947	1.9	2	New
Left Camp of Israel 9	27,281	1.6	2	+1
United Arab List	24,185	1.4	1	-1
Poalei Agudat Yisrael	23,571	1.3	1	-1
Ratz	20,621	1.2	1	-1
Independent Liberals	20,384	1.2	1	-3
Movement for the Renewal of Social Zionism	14,516	0.8	0	New
Beit Yisrael	9,505	0.5	0	New
Arab Reform Movement	5,695	0.3	0	New
Women's Party	5,674	0.3	0	New
Kach	4,396	0.3	0	0
Hofesh	2,498	0.1	0	New
New Generation	1,802	0.1	0	New
Zionist Panthers	1,798	0.1	0	New
Do Kiyum BeTzedek	1,085	0.1	0	New
Invalid/blank votes	23,906	-	-	-
Total	1,771,776	100	120	0
Source: Nohlen et al

¹ Shlomtzion merged into Likud, but Yitzhak Yitzhaky later broke away to form One Israel.

² When Dash broke up, seven MKs founded Shinui, seven founded the Democratic Movement, and Assaf Yaguri founded Ya'ad.

³ Three Likud MKs broke away to form Rafi – National List, one later returned.

⁴ Two Likud MKs broke away to form Tehiya.

⁵ The Democratic Movement split up when three MKs founded Ahva and Yigael Yadin, Binyamin Halevi, Mordechai Elgrably and Shmuel Tamir left to sit as independents.

⁶ Zeidan Atashi and David Golomb defected from Shinui to the Alignment.

⁷ Moshe Dayan left the Alignment and formed Telem with two members of Rafi – National List and Shafik Assad.

⁸ Shafik Assad defected from Ahva to Telem, whilst Akiva Nof joined Likud

⁹ Saadia Marciano left the Left Camp of Israel and formed the Unity Party with independent MK, Mordechai Elgrably.

¹⁰ Yosef Tamir defected from Likud to Shinui, but then left to sit as an independent.

¹¹ Flatto-Sharon won enough votes for two seats, but was a one-man party.

Aftermath

Main article: Eighteenth government of Israel

Likud's Menachem Begin formed the country's eighteenth government on 20 June 1977; the coalition initially included the National Religious Party, Agudat Yisrael and Shlomtzion, which soon merged into Likud. This ended the historic alliance between religious parties and the previously dominant left-wing bloc, and initiated a period of alliance between religious parties and the right-wing bloc. The cabinet also included Moshe Dayan, formerly of the Alignment, as Foreign Minister; this resulted in Dayan's expulsion from the Labor party and he formed the short-lived Telem party.

Begin kept four ministerial portfolios empty (Communications, Justice, Labour and Social Welfare and Transportation), hoping to persuade Dash to join the government. This was achieved on 24 October, with Yadin being appointed Deputy Prime Minister. However, the coalition commanded a majority without the votes of Dash members, and the party collapsed after less than a year, splitting into three factions on 14 September 1978.

The Camp David Accords and the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty which resulted in an Israeli withdrawal from Sinai led to Tehiya and One Israel breaking away from Likud, including and One Israel. Begin relied on opposition votes to pass the treaty in the Knesset as several party members, including future Prime Ministers Ariel Sharon and Yitzhak Shamir objected to it and abstained from voting.

During the Knesset term, United Arab List MK Hamad Abu Rabia was assassinated by the sons of party rival Jabr Moade after Abu Rabia allegedly refused to give up his seat as had been decided in a rotation agreement. Despite his sons' actions, Moade replaced Abu Rabia in the Knesset.

See also

• List of members of the ninth Knesset

References

1. ^ Nohlen, D, Grotz, F & Hartmann, C (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume I, p126 ISBN 019924958
2. ^ Yitzhak Rabin: An Appreciation Foreign Policy Research Institute
3. ^ Yitzhak Rabin, The Rabin Memoirs, ISBN 0-520-20766-1, p261
4. ^ Israel's Arabs to Mark Land Day The Jerusalem Post, 30 March 2006
5. ^ Remembering Land Day BBC News, 30 March 2001
6. ^ "Cabinet Fratricide". TIME. November 8, 1976. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,918489,00.html?promoid=googlep. Retrieved 2007-12-28. 
7. ^ "History of the Eighth Knesset". The Knesset. http://www.knesset.gov.il/history/eng/eng_hist8.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-28. 
8. ^ ^{a b} Karlikow, Abraham. "Israel N,". http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:lAGHekye3_AJ:ajcarchives.org/AJC_DATA/Files/1978_12_IsraelArab.pdf+yadlin+affair&hl=iw&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=il&client=firefox-a. Retrieved 2007-12-28. 
9. ^ Israel Court Orders Candidate To Begin a Bribery Jail Term New York Times, 28 June 1984

External links

• Historical overview of the Ninth Knesset Knesset website (English)
• Factional and Government Make-Up of the Ninth Knesset Knesset website (English)