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)
23 Mar 2021
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature
22 Dec 2020
Timing of election
Early elections
Number of seats at stake
120
Scope of elections
Full renewal

Candidates

Number of parties contesting the election
39

Voter turnout

Registered voters
6,578,084
Voters
4,436,365
Voter turnout
67.4%

Results

About the election

The fourth inconclusive set of snap elections in two years ultimately led to a powershift in June. Although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud remained the largest force with 30 seats in the 120-member Knesset, he was unable to form a new government by the extended deadline of 6 May. President Reuven Rivlin then tasked former finance minister Mr. Yair Lapid, leader of Yesh Atid (which finished second with 17 seats), with forming a new government. On 2 June, Mr. Lapid announced a coalition government comprising eight parties (see note) under the premiership of Naftali Bennett, the leader of Yemina and a former defence minister. The coalition deal sets out that Mr. Lapid will succeed Mr. Bennett as Prime Minister in September 2023.

On 13 June, the Knesset approved the new 27-member government, comprising 9 women, by a razor-thin margin of 60 votes to 59. The vote ousted Mr. Netanyahu, the longest-serving Prime Minister of Israel, who had led five governments over 12 years since 1996. The new government is the first in Israel to include an Arab Israeli party (United Arab List). Mr. Mickey Levy (Yesh Atid) was elected as the new Speaker, and will serve until the end of the legislature.

The early elections in 2021 followed a budget row within the coalition government (formed in May 2020) between Likud, and Blue and White. On 22 December 2020, Speaker Yariv Levin announced snap elections had been automatically triggered by the outgoing legislature’s failure to pass the budget. During election campaigning, Likud focused heavily on the country’s rapid roll-out of its COVID-19 vaccination programme, and the normalization of ties with some Arab countries in 2020.

Note:

The new coalition government comprises Yesh Atid, Blue and White (led by former army chief Mr. Benny Gantz), Yemina, Israeli Labor (led by Ms. Merav Michaeli), Yisrael Beiteinu (led by former defence minister Mr. Avigdor Lieberman), New hope (led by former Likud member Mr. Gideon Saar), Meretz (led by Mr. Nitzan Horowitz) and United Arab List (led by Mr. Mansour Abbas). They won a total of 62 seats in the 2021 elections.

Number of parties winning seats
13
Percentage of parties winning seats
33.3%
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition
25.0%
Alternation of power after elections
Yes
Number of parties in government
8
Names of parties in government
Yesh Atid, Blue and White, Yemina, Israeli Labor, Yisrael Beiteinu, New hope, Meretz, United Arab List

Parties or coalitions winning seats

Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political group Total
Likud 30
Yesh Atid 17
Shas 9
Blue and White 8
Yemina 7
Israeli Labor 7
United Torah Judaism (Yahadut Hatorah) 7
Yisrael Beiteinu 7
Religious Zionism 6
Joint List (Hadash, Ta’al, Balad) 6
New hope 6
Meretz 6
United Arab List 4
Members elected, by sex
Number of men elected
91
Number of women elected
29

Notes: Twenty-nine women were elected in 2021. After the formation of the new government in June, the number of women in the Knesset increased to 34.

Percentage of women elected
24.2%
Women Directly Elected
29
Other notes on the elections

Note on the new Speaker:

Mr. Yariv Levin (Likud), the Speaker of the outgoing legislature since May 2020, served in that post from 6 April 2021, when the newly elected legislature was convened, to 13 June, when the new government was formed.

Note on the expected date of next elections: The third Tuesday of the month of Cheshvan in 2025.

Sources

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
16
Percentage of first-term parliamentarians
13.3%
Date of the first session
06 Apr 2021

First Speaker of the new legislature

Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature
Mickey Levy (Male)
Date of birth: 1951
Political party
Yesh Atid
Date of election
13 Jun 2021

Historical data for IPU membership

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Historical data for IPU membership
Year IPU membership
2020-09
List of values for 2020-09
No
2019-04
List of values for 2019-04
No
2018-06
List of values for 2018-06
No