Israel

Parliament

Political system: Parliamentary system
Structure of parliament: Unicameral
IPU membership: Yes

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections.

Background

Election date(s): 17 Mar 2015
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature: 08 Dec 2014
Timing of election: Early elections
Number of seats at stake: 120
Scope of elections: Full renewal

Candidates

Number of parties contesting the election: 25
Total number of candidates: 1,297
The number of women candidates is not available from authoritative sources.: Yes

Voter turnout

Registered voters: 5,881,696
Voters: 4,254,738
Voter turnout: 72.3%

Results

About the election: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party remained the largest force, winning 30 seats in the 120-member Knesset. The Zionist Union - established in December 2014 by the Labour Party and Hatenua and led by outgoing Opposition Leader Isaac Herzog and former Justice Minister Tzipi Livni - came in second with 24 seats. Due mainly to the higher threshold required to win seats in the 2015 elections, four Arab parties ran together as the Joint List and became the third largest force with 13 seats (see note). A record 29 women were elected, up from 27. On 25 March, President Reuven Rivlin tasked Mr. Netanyahu with forming a new government, stating "only a unity government can prevent the rapid disintegration of Israel's democracy". On 6 May, Mr. Netanyahu presented a new coalition government comprising Likud, Kulanu, Habayit Hayehudi (Jewish Home), Shas and the United Torah Judaism (Yahadut Hatorah), undertaking his fourth mandate as Prime Minister.

The 2015 elections - the second snap polls in two years - were triggered by the collapse of the previous coalition government following the dismissal in December 2014 of Finance Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) and Justice Minister Livni (Hatnua). They had opposed the budget proposal (which foresaw an increase in defence spending) and a bill declaring Israel a nation-state of the Jewish people. The Ministers argued that the bill would harm the rights of the country's Arab and minority populations, while the Prime Minister said it would guarantee equal rights for citizens "regardless of religion, race or nationality". During the election campaign, the major parties focused on Palestine, settlement in the Occupied Territories and Iran's nuclear program.

Note:

In March 2014, the Knesset passed a "Governance Law" that raised the threshold required for political parties to win parliamentary representation from 2 to 3.25% of total votes cast. The Labour Party, Meretz and the United Arab List -Ta'al opposed the bill and argued that it would undermine Israeli's democracy and pluralism in the Knesset. The primary initiators of the bill - Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman (Likud) and Finance Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) - noted that thresholds in other countries were much higher. In the 2015 elections, the Joint List comprised Hadash, the National Democratic Alliance (Balad), the United Arab List and Ta'al. In the 2013 elections, each party submitted candidates separately and won a total of 11 seats.
Number of parties winning seats: 10
Percentage of parties winning seats: 40.0%
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition: 25.0%
Alternation of power after elections: No
Number of parties in government: 5
Names of parties in government: Likud, Kulanu, Habayit Hayehudi (Jewish Home), Shas and the United Torah Judaism (Yahadut Hatorah)

Parties or coalitions winning seats

Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political group	Total
Likud	30
Zionist Union	24
Joint list	13
Yesh Atid (There Is a Future)	11
Kulanu Chaired by Moshe Kahlon	10
Habayit Hayehudi (Jewish Home)	8
Shas	7
Likud Yisrael Beitenu	6
United Torah Judaism (Yahadut Hatorah)	6
Meretz	5

Members elected, by sex

Number of men elected: 91
Number of women elected: 29
Percentage of women elected: 24.2%
Women Directly Elected: 29
Sources: Parliament (12.04.2015, 02.09.2015, 29.10.2015, 29.11.2015, 01.01.2017)

Central Election Committee

New legislature

Total number of men after the election: 91
Total number of women after the election: 29
Percentage of women after the election: 24.2%
First-term parliamentarians: 40
Percentage of first-term parliamentarians: 33.3%
Date of the first session: 31 Mar 2015

First Speaker of the new legislature

Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature: Yuli-Yoel Edelstein (Male)
Date of birth: 05 Aug 1958
Political party: Likud
Date of election: 31 Mar 2015