Israel
Parliament
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Political system
Political systems: Presidential, Parliamentary, Presidential-Parliamentary, Monarchy, Communist, Transitional.
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Parliamentary system
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Structure of parliament
Structure of parliament: Unicameral, bicameral
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Unicameral
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IPU membership
Current membership status
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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
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Election date(s)
The date when elections started and ended for directly or indirectly elected parliaments/chambers. The date of appointments for appointed parliaments/chambers.
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23 Mar 2021
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Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature
Date at which the previous legislature (elected at the previous elections) was dissolved.
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22 Dec 2020
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Timing of election
Timing of election: Upon normal expiry; Early elections; Delayed elections
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Early elections
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Number of seats at stake
Number of seats contested at the elections. Where the parliament/chamber is fully renewed, this number is usually identical to the statutory number of members. Where the parliament/chamber is partially renewed or appointed, the number of seats at stake is usually less than the total number of members.
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120
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Scope of elections
Scope of elections: Full renewal; Partial renewal.
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Full renewal
Candidates
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Number of parties contesting the election
This field may include either the number of parties contesting the election, or the number of coalitions/electoral alliance.
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39
Voter turnout
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Registered voters
Number of people registered to vote
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6,578,084
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Voters
Number of people who actually voted
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4,436,365
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Voter turnout
The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of people who actually voted by the number of people registered to vote
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67.4%
Results
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About the election
Short description of the context and results of the election.
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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.
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Number of parties winning seats
The number of parties which won parliamentary representation in the given election.
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13
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Percentage of parties winning seats
The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of parties which won parliamentary representation by the number of parties contesting the election.
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33.3%
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Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition
The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of seats won by the largest party by the number of seats at stake in the election.
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25.0%
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Alternation of power after elections
The results of the elections caused a change in the government. "Not applicable" to countries using the presidential system when parliamentary and presidential elections are held separately, to countries in political transition or where there is no party system.
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Yes
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Number of parties in government
The government may be formed by one or more political parties
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8
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Names of parties in government
The government may be formed by one or more political parties
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Yesh Atid, Blue and White, Yemina, Israeli Labor, Yisrael Beiteinu, New hope, Meretz, United Arab List
Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political group | Total |
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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
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91
- Number of women elected
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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.
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Percentage of women elected
The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of women elected by the number of seats filled.
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24.2%
- Women Directly Elected
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29
- Other notes on the elections
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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
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Knesset (04.04.2021, 14.06.2021, 29.06.2021)
https://votes24.bechirot.gov.il/nationalresults
https://knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/MKIndex_Current_eng.asp?view=1
BBC
Reuters
AP
New legislature
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Total number of men after the election
The total number of male parliamentarians in this parliament/chamber following the election or renewal, regardless of their modes of designation.
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91
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Total number of women after the election
The total number of female parliamentarians in this parliament/chamber following the election or renewal, regardless of their modes of designation.
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29
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Percentage of women after the election
The percentage is calculated by dividing the total number of women in this parliament/chamber by the current number of members.
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24.2%
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First-term parliamentarians
The number of members who are assuming their parliamentary mandate for the first time following the election or renewal, regardless of their mode of designation.
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16
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Percentage of first-term parliamentarians
The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of first-term parliamentarians by the number of seats at stake in the election.
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13.3%
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Date of the first session
The date when the newly elected parliament/chamber was convened for the first time. It may be different from the date when members were sworn in.
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06 Apr 2021
First Speaker of the new legislature
- Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature
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Mickey Levy (Male)
Date of birth: 1951 -
Political party
The political party to which the Speaker belonged to at the moment of the election. In some parliaments, the Speaker suspends or relinquishes their party membership during their term in office and is considered as an independent member.
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Yesh Atid
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Date of election
The date of the election of the Speaker may be different from the date of the first session of the new legislature.
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13 Jun 2021