Parliamentary Groups in the Knesset

Parliamentary Groups

Current Parliamentary Groups

Parties, Lists, Parliamentary Groups, Etc.

All Parliamentary Groups - By Name

All Parliamentary Groups - By Knesset

Parliamentary Groups in Governments

Mergers and Splits Among Parliamentary Groups

See color key

First Knesset

8.6.49	Eliezer Preminger left the Israel Communist Party and established the Hebrew Communists.
15.8.49	The Hebrew Communists joined the United Workers' Party.
20.2.51	Ari Jabotinsky left the Herut Movement (this move was not approved by the House Committee).
20.2.51	Hillel Kook left the Herut Movement (this move was not approved by the House Committee).

Second Knesset

10.9.51	The Sephardim and Oriental Communities and Yemenite Association of Israel merged with General Zionists (as announced by the Arrangements Committee).
20.2.52	Rostam Bastuni, Avraham Berman, and Moshe Sneh split from the United Workers' Party and established the Left Faction.
20.1.53	Hannah Lamdan and David Livschitz left the United Workers' Party and established the Faction Independent from Ahdut Ha'avoda (the name was never approved by the House Committee).
13.1.54	The Faction Independent from Ahdut Ha'avoda joined Worker’s Party of Eretz Yisrael (Mapai).
23.8.54	Moshe Aram, Israel Bar-Yehuda, Yitzhak Ben-Aharon, and Aharon Zisling left the United Workers' Party and established Ahdut Ha'avoda - Poalei Zion (this move was not recognized by the House Committee).
1.11.54	The Left Faction ceased to exist: Avraham Berman and Moshe Sneh moved to Israel Communist Party, Rostam Bastuni returned to the United Workers' Party.
29.6.55	Shimon Garidi (Yemenite Association of Israel) announced that he split from the General Zionists (this move was not approved by the House Committee).

Third Knesset

31.10.55	Once the National Religious Front list entered the Knesset, it called itself Poel Mizrahi - Mizrahi.
3.11.55	Once the Religious Torah Front list entered the Knesset, it called itself Agudat Yisrael - Po'alei Agudat Yisrael.
22.1.57	Poel Mizrahi - Mizrahi changed its name to the National Religious Party.

Fourth Knesset

9.8.60	The Religious Torah Front split into Agudat Yisrael and Poalei Agudat Yisrael.
8.5.61	The General Zionists and Progressive Party united and formed the Liberal Party of Israel.

Fifth Knesset

22.12.64	Yona Kesse's resignation from Mapai and his status as a single MK was approved, although the House Committee did not approve his becoming a single member parliamentary group by the name of "Min Hayesod".
16.3.65	Members of the Liberal Party of Israel who were in the Progressive Party in the past - Rachel Cohen-Kagan, Benno Cohen, Itzhak Golan, Yizhar Harari, Moshe Kol, Pinhas Rosen, and Yehuda Shaari - left and formed the Independent Liberals.
25.5.65	The Herut Movement and the Liberal Party of Israel merged and formed the Herut-Liberal Bloc (Gahal).
14.7.65	Joseph Aharon Almogi, David Ben-Gurion, Gideon Ben-Israel, Moshe Dayan, Amos Degani, Hannah Lamdan, Shimon Peres, and Yizhar Smilansky left Mapai and established Rafi.
1.9.65	Emil Habibi and Tawfik Toubi left the Israel Communist Party and established the New Communist List.

Sixth Knesset

5.7.66	Shituf Ve-achva (Jabr Moade and Diyab Ovid) and Kidma Vepituah (Seif-El-Din El-Zubi and Elias Nahale) established Shituf Ve-Pituach.
1.1.67	Shituf Ve-Pituach split into Shituf Ve-achva and Kidma Vepituah.
29.3.67	The Free Center - Eliezer Shostak, Shmuel Tamir (Katznelson), and Avraham Tiar - split from the Herut-Liberal Bloc.
11.4.67	The Druze Party (Jabr Moade) split from Shituf Ve-achva.
23.1.68	Rafi (all members except David Ben Gurion) and Alignment merged and formed the Israel Labor Party.
27.5.68	Yizhar Harari left the Independent Liberals and joined the Israel Labor Party
22.10.68	The Jewish-Arab Brotherhood (Elias Nahale) split from קידמה ופיתוח (ביקשה את השם סיעת הגליל אך נדחתה)
28.1.69	Israel Labor Party and United Worker's Party (Mapam) merged and formed a new party called the Alignment.
11.2.69	Shlomo Cohen-Tsiddon left the Herut-Liberal Bloc and joined the Free Center. (He had requested to establish a single-member parliamentary group by the name of the "Popular Faction.")

Seventh Knesset

4.1.72	Shalom Cohen split from Ha-olam Hazeh - Koah Hadash and became a Single MK.
25.4.72	Meir Avizohar left the National List and became a Single MK.
22.5.73	Avner-Hai Shaki left the National Religious Party and became a Single MK.
3.7.73	Ha-olam Hazeh - Koah Hadash changed its name to the Radical Camp of Israel.
17.7.73	Single MK Meir Avizohar joined the Alignment.
25.7.73	Israel Communist Party changed its name to Moked.

Eighth Knesset

26.2.74	Kidma Vepituah and the Arab List for Bedouin and Villagers joined the Alignment.
18.3.75	Benjamin Halevi left the Likud to become a Single MK.
29.4.75	Arie Lova Eliav left the Alignment to become a Single MK.
3.6.75	The Civil Rights Movement (Ratz) and Arie Lova Eliav merged and formed Ya'ad - Movement for Civil Rights.
21.10.75	Moked - Maki and Tchelet Adom changed its name to Moked - for Peace and Social Compensation.
27.1.76	Arie Lova Eliav and Marcia Freedman left Ya'ad - Movement for Civil Rights and established a parliamentary group called the Social-Democratic Faction. Shulamit Aloni and Boaz Moav returned to the name Civil Rights Movement (Ratz).
3.2.76	The Social-Democratic Faction changed its name to the Independent Socialist Faction.
8.6.76	Seif-El-Din El-Zubi and Jabr Moade left the Alignment and returned to the name Kidma Vepituah.
26.10.76	Shmuel Tamir and Akiva Nof split from the Likud and established the Free Center.
4.1.77	Hamad Abu-Rabiah left the Alignment and reestablished the Arab List for Bedouin and Villagers.
25.1.77	The Free Center resigned from the Knesset.
15.2.77	Hillel Seidel left the Independent Liberals and joined the Likud.
8.3.77	Kidma Vepituah and Arab List for Bedouin and Villagers formed the United Arab List.
15.3.77	The New Communist List and Non Partisans changed its name to the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash).
15.3.77	The Religious Torah Front split into Agudat Yisrael and Poalei Agudat Yisrael.
15.3.77	Mordechai Ben-Porat left the Alignment and became a Single MK.
10.4.77	Yehuda Dranitzki, Aharon Efrat, Chyka Grossman-Orkin, Eliezer Ronnen, Meir Talmi, and Dov Zakin left the Alignment and established United Workers' Party.
12.4.77	United Workers' Party returned to the Alignment.

Ninth Knesset

5.7.77	Shlomtzion (Itzhak Itzhaky and Ariel Sharon) joined the Likud.
5.7.77	Moshe Dayan left the Alignment and became a Single MK.
28.2.78	Flatto Sharon changed the name of his parliamentary group to Pitu'ah Veshalom.
14.9.78	The Democratic Movement for Change split into the Democratic Movement (Shafik Asaad, Mordechai Elgrably, Shlomo Eliahu, Benjamin Halevi, Akiva Nof, Shmuel Tamir, and Yigael Yadin), the Movement for Change and Initiative (Meir Amit, Zeidan Atashi, David Golomb, Amnon Rubinstein, Shmuel Toledano, Mordechai Virshubski, and Stef Wertheimer), and Ya'ad (Assaf Yaguri).
15.5.79	Moshe Shamir left the Likud and became a Single MK.
17.7.79	Geula Cohen left the Likud and together with Moshe Shamir established Bnai.
20.11.79	Bnai changed its name to Tehiya-Bnai.
31.12.79	Josef Tamir left the Likud and joined the Movement for Change and Initiative.
5.2.80	Mordechai Elgrably left the Democratic Movement and became a Single MK.
13.5.80	Meir Amit and David Golomb left the Movement for Change and Initiative and joined the Alignment.
8.7.80	Shafik Asaad and Shlomo Eliahu left the Democratic Movement and established Achva.
29.7.80	The Movement for Change and Initiative changed its name to Shinui - Center Party.
17.9.80	Akiva Nof left the Democratic Movement and joined Achva.
14.10.80	Itzhak Itzhaky left the Likud and became a Single MK.
11.11.80	Itzhak Itzhaky established One Israel (the first version).
11.11.80	Saadia Marciano split off from the Left Camp of Israel and established a Single-Member Parliamentary Group.
30.12.80	The name of Saadia Marciano's Parliamentary Group became Equality in Israel-Panthers.
26.1.81	Igael Hurvitz, Yitzhak Peretz, and Zalman Shoval split from the Likud and established Rafi.
28.1.81	Akiva Nof left Achva and joined the Likud.
10.3.81	The Democratic Movement ceased to exist. Benjamin Halevi became a Single MK.
17.3.81	Shmuel Tamir became a Single MK; (Yigal Yadin did not request any special Knesset status - he remained a minister in the government, but by default became a Single MK).
11.5.81	Josef Tamir split from Shinui - Center Party and became a Single MK.
19.5.81	Mordechai Elgrably joined Equality in Israel-Panthers which then changed its name to the Unity Party.
19.5.81	Rafi split into Movement for National Renewal - Telem (Igael Hurvitz and Zalman Shoval) and the National List (Yitzhak Peretz). Moshe Dayan joined the Movement for National Renewal - Telem.
27.5.81	Yitzhak Peretz returned to the Likud.
3.6.81	The Movement for National Renewal - Telem changed its name to Telem - Movement for National Renewal.
15.6.81	Shafik Asaad left Achva and joined Telem - Movement for National Renewal.

Tenth Knesset

16.11.81	The Civil Rights Movement (Ratz) (Shulamit Aloni) joined the Alignment.
26.10.82	Amnon Linn and Yitzhak Peretz left the Likud and joined the Alignment.
6.6.83	The Movement for National Renewal (Telem) split into the Movement for the Renewal of Social Zionism (Mordechai Ben-Porat) and Rafi (Igael Hurvitz).
10.10.83	Haim Meir Druckman left the National Religious Party and became a Single MK (he had requested to set up a parliamentary group called the National Religious Camp, but his request was denied).
14.5.84	The Civil Rights Movement (Ratz) split from the Alignment.
29.5.84	Gesher - Zionist Religious Center (Yehuda Ben-Meir and Zevulon Hammer) split off from the National Religious Party.
12.6.84	Gesher - Zionist Religious Center returned to the National Religious Party.

Eleventh Knesset

22.10.84	Yahad joined the Alignment.
22.10.84	The United Workers' Party (Mapam) (Elazar Granot, Chyka Grossman-Orkin, Amira Sartani, Victor Shem-Tov, Yair Tsaban, and Muhammed Wattad) split from the Alignment.
22.10.84	Yossi Sarid left the Alignment and joined the Civil Rights Movement (Ratz).
2.6.86	Hatehiya-Tzomet changed its name to Tehiya.
29.7.86	Morasha changed its name to Morasha-Poalei Agudat Yisrael(Avraham Verdiger) and Haim Meir Druckman split off and joined the National Religious Party.
5.8.87	Mordechai Virshubski left Shinui and joined the Civil Rights Movement.
16.11.87	Rafael Eitan split from Tehiya.
30.11.87	Rafael Eitan established Tzomet.
15.2.88	Abdulwahab Darawshe split off from the Alignment and formed a single-member parliamentary group.
7.3.88	The parliamentary group of Abdulwahab Darawshe was given the name, the Arab Democratic Party.
15.3.88	Shinui - Center Party changed its name to Shinui - the Center Movement.
15.3.88	Yitzhak Artzi left the Alignment and joined Shinui - the Center Movement.
12.7.88	Muhammed Wattad left the National Workers' Party and joined Hadash.
29.8.88	The Movement for the Heritage of Israel (Tami) (Aharon Abuhatssira) merged with the Likud.
27.9.88	Rafi-Ometz (Igael Hurvitz) merged with the Likud.
27.9.88	Shimon Ben-Shlomo left Shas and became a Single MK.

Twelfth Knesset

15.3.90	Yosef Goldberg, Pinhas Goldstein, Pesach Grupper, Yitzhak Moday, and Avraham Sharir split off from the Likud and established the Party for the Advancement of the Zionist Idea.
18.6.90	Avraham Sharir left the Party for the Advancement of the Zionist Idea and returned to the Likud.
4.12.90	Yosef Goldberg left the Party for the Advancement of the Zionist Idea and returned to the Likud.
25.12.90	Yitzhak Haim Peretz left Shas and founded Moriah.
25.12.90	Charlie Bitton left Hadash, and the name for his new parliamentary group was not yet approved.
25.12.90	Efraim Gur left the Alignment and established Unity for Peace and Immigration.
25.12.90	Eliezer Mizrachi split off from Agudat Yisrael and established Geulat Yisrael.
1.1.91	The parliamentary group of Charlie Bitton was given the name Black Panthers.
7.10.91	The Alignment changed its name to the Israel Labor Party.
17.2.92	Shinui - Central Movement changed its name to Shinui - Center Party.
2.3.92	Hadash changed its official name from the Israel Communist Party, Rakach, Black Panthers and Jewish and Arab Public - Hadash to Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Israel Communist Party and Jewish and Arab Public).
3.3.92	The Party for the Advancement of the Zionist Idea changed its name to the New Liberal Party.
9.3.92	The Civil Rights Movement (Ratz), United Workers Party and Shinui (Shulamit Aloni, Ran Cohen, Hussein Faris, Chaim Oron, Avraham Poraz, Amnon Rubinstein, Yossi Sarid, Yair Tsaban, Mordechai Virshubski, and David Zucker) merged and formed Meretz.
17.5.92	Unity for Peace and Immigration joined the Likud.

Thirteenth Knesset

7.2.94	Alex Goldfarb, Esther Salmovitz, and Gonen Segev split off from Tzomet and established Yi-ud.
24.7.95	Shaul Gutman left Moledet and established Right Israel.
27.11.95	Alex Goldfarb and Esther Salmovitz split off from Yi-ud and established Atid.
15.1.96	Moledet changed its official name to Moledet - Movement for those Loyal to Israel and Tehiya Supporters.
28.2.96	Joseph Azran left Shas and became a Single MK.
7.3.96	Nava Arad left the Alignment and became a Single MK.
7.3.96	Efraim Gur left the Likud and became a Single MK.
7.3.96	Avigdor Kahalani and Emanuel Zisman split off from theLabor Party and founded The Third Way.
11.3.96	David Levy and David Magen split off from the Likud and established Gesher.
12.3.96	Joseph Bagad left Moledet and became a Single MK.
8.4.96	United Torah Judaism split into Agudat Yisrael (Avraham Yosef Schapira and Avraham Verdiger) and Degel Hatorah (Moshe Gafni Avraham Ravitz).

Fourteenth Knesset

16.7.96	Arab Democratic List - United Arab List changed its name to Mada-Ra'am - Arab Democratic List - United Arab List.
17.1.99	Avraham Poraz left Meretz and established Shinui - Center Party.
23.2.99	Michael Nudelman and Yuri Shtern split off from Yisrael Be'aliyah and formed Aliah - For a Renewed Israel.
23.2.99	David Levy, Maxim Levy, and Yehuda Lancry split off from Likud Gesher Tzomet and established Gesher.
23.2.99	Ze`ev Binyamin Begin, Michael Kleiner, and David Re`em split off from Likud Gesher Tzomet and formed Herut - National Movement.
23.2.99	Hagai Meirom nad Nissim Zvili left the Labor Party and established Israel in the Center (a).
23.2.99	David Magen, Dan Meridor, Itzchak Mordechay, and Eliezer Sandberg left Likud Gesher Tzomet and formed Israel in the Center (b).
23.2.99	Israel in the Center (a) and Israel in the Center (b) merged and became Israel in the Center.
23.2.99	Likud-Gesher-Tzomet changed its name to Likud-Tzomet.
23.2.99	United Torah Judaism split into Agudat Yisrael (Shmuel Halpert, Avraham Leizerson and Meir Porush) and Degel Hatorah (Avraham Ravitz).
4.3.99	Likud-Tzomet split into the Likud and Tzomet (Haim Dayan, Rafael Eitan, and Moshe Peled).
4.3.99	Moshe Peled left Tzomet and established Mehora which immediately merged with Moledet.
4.3.99	Zvi Hendel and Hanan Porat left the National Religious Party and established Emunim.
8.3.99	Hadash-Balad split into Hadash (Tamar Gozansky, Ahmad Sa`d, and Saleh Saleem ) and National Democratic Assembly (Balad) (Azmi Bishara and Hashem Mahameed).
17.3.99	David Zucker left Meretz and became a Single MK.
17.3.99	Emunim changed its name to Tekuma.
22.3.99	Eliezer Sandberg left Israel in the Center and formed Hatzeirim.
25.3.99	Amir Peretz, Rafik Haj Yahia, and Addisu Messele split off from the Labor Party and established Am Ehad.
29.3.99	Shinui - Center Party (Avraham Poraz) and Hatzeirim ( Eliezer Sandberg) merged and kept the name Shinui.
29.3.99	Emanuel Zisman split off from the Third Way and became a Single MK.

Fifteenth Knesset

20.7.99	Roman Bronfman and Alexander Tsinker split off from Yisrael Be'aliyah, but the name for their new parliamentary group was not yet approved.
26.7.99	The parliamentary group of Roman Bronfman and Alexander Tsinker was named the Party for Society and Reforms (Machar).
18.10.99	The Party for Society and Reforms (Machar) changed its name to The Democratic Choice.
21.12.99	The Arab Movement for Renewal (Ta-al) (Ahmad Tibi) split off from the National Democratic Assembly (Balad).
1.2.00	Ichud Leumi split into Ichud Leumi - Moledet - Tekuma and Herut - National Movement (Michael Kleiner).
1.2.00	Ichud Leumi - Moledet - Tekuma merged with Yisrael Beitenu and became Ichud Leumi-Yisrael Beiteinu.
19.2.01	Muhamad Kanan and Tawfik Khatib split off from the United Arab List and established the National Arab Party.
6.3.01	The New Way (Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, Dalia Rabin-Pelossof, and Uri Savir) split off from Center Party.
7.3.01	Gesher (David Levy, Maxim Levy, and Mordechai Mishani) left One Israel.
26.3.01	After Amnon Lipkin-Shahak and Uri Savir resigned from the Knesset, Nehama Ronen and David Magen entered the Knesset as members of the Center Party, Dalia Rabin-Pelossof remained alone in the New Way.
7.5.01	The New Way merged into One Israel.
15.5.01	One Israel changed its name to Labor-Meimad.
6.11.02	Roni Milo and Yechiel Lasry left the Center Party and established Lev, which then merged with the Likud.
10.12.02	Hashem Mahameed split off from the United Arab List (towards elections) and established National Unity - National Progressive Alliance.

Sixteenth Knesset

10.3.03	Yisrael Be'aliyah (Yuli-Yoel Edelstein and Marina Solodkin) merged into the Likud.
15.6.04	Meretz-Democratic Choice-Shahar changed its name to Yahad and the Democratic Choice.
12.1.05	United Torah Judaism split into Agudat Yisrael and Degel Hatorah.
21.3.05	Hitchabrut (Effie Eitam and Yitzhak Levy ) split off from the National Religious Party.
16.5.05	Hitchabrut changed its name to Renewed National Religious Zionism.
18.5.05	Joseph Paritzky split off from Shinui - the Secular Movement and established Zionism Liberalism Equality.
18.5.05	Shinui -the Secular Movement changed its name to Shinui - Party for the Secular and the Middle Class.
23.5.05	Labor-Meimad and Am Ehad merged into one parliamentary group and Labor-Meimad-Am Ehad.
23.5.05	David Tal split off from Am Ehad and established Noy.
27.7.05	Yahad and the Democratic Choice changed its name to Meretz-Yahad and the Democratic Choice.
23.11.05	14 MKs from the Likud split off and formed Achrayut Leumit.
23.11.05	Noy (David Tal) merged with Achrayut Leumit.
17.1.06	Achrayut Leumit changed its name to Kadima.
26.1.06	Shinui - Party for the Secular and the Middle Class split into Shinui, with 3 members (Igal Yasinov, Ilan Leibovitch, and Ehud Rassabi) and the Secular Faction, which had 11 members (Tomy Lapid, Ronny A. Brison, Victor Brailovsky, Erela Golan, Chemi Doron, Eliezer Sandberg , Reshef Chayne, Eti Livni, Meli Polishook-Bloch, Avraham Poraz, and Ilan Shalgi)
1.2.06	Michael Nudelman left Ichud Leumi and remained a Single MK.
1.2.06	Igal Yasinov split off from Shinui, and formed Ha-olim, which then merged with Ichud Leumi-Yisrael Beitenu-Moledet-Tekuma.
1.2.06	Ichud Leumi-Yisrael Beitenu-Moledet-Tekuma split into Ichud Leumi-Moledet-Tekuma with 4 members (Benyamin Elon, Arieh Eldad, Uri Yehuda Ariel, and Zvi Hendel) and Yisrael Beitenu with 3 members (Yuri Shtern, Eliezer Cohen, and Igal Yasinov).
5.2.06	Chemi Doron and Eliezer Sandberg left the Secular Faction and established Habayit Haleumi.
7.2.06	Hadash-Ta'al split into Arab Movement for Renewal (Ta-al) (Ahmad Tibi) and Hadash (Mohammad Barakeh and Issam Makhoul).

Seventeenth Knesset

2.6.08	Three MKs from the Gil Pensioners Party (Elhanan Glazer, Sara Marom Shalev, and Moshe Sharoni) split and formed the Justice for the Elderly parliamentary group.
27.10.08	Two MKs from Justice for the Elderly (Sara Marom Shalev, and Moshe Sharoni) remerged with Gil Pensioners Party. The third MK, Elhanan Glazer, split and formed a single member parliamentary group called the Right Way.
3.12.08	Ichud Leumi - Mafdal changed its name to Jewish Home - Mafdal and Ichud Leumi.
18.12.08	The Labor-Meimad parliamentary group split into two separate groups: Meimad (Michael Melchior) and Labor Under Ehud Barak (18 MKs).
18.12.08	United Torah Judaism split into Agudat Yisrael (Shmuel Halpert, Yakov Litzman, Meir Porush) and Degel Hatorah (Moshe Gafni, Uri Maklev, Avraham Ravitz).
23.12.08	Jewish Home - Mafdal and Ichud Leumi split into Jewish Home - Mafdal (Uri Yehuda Ariel, Eliahu Gabbay, Zvi Hendel, Zevulun Orlev, and Nissan Slomiansky), Achi (Effie Eitam and Yitzhak Levy), and Moledet - Ichud Leumi (Arieh Eldad and Benyamin Elon).

Eighteenth Knesset

17.1.11	The Labor Under Ehud Barak parliamentary group divided into two new groups: Haatzma'ut (Ehud Barak, Orit Noked, Shalom Simhon, Matan Vilnai, and Einat Wilf), and the Israel Labor Party (Binyamin (Fouad) Ben-Eliezer, Daniel Ben Simon, Avishay Braverman, Eitan Cabel, Isaac Herzog, Raleb Majadele, Amir Peretz, and Shelly Yachimovich).
19.11.12	Two Knesset members (Michael Ben Ari and Arieh Eldad) split off from Ichud Leumi and established a new parliamentary group called Otzma Leyisrael.
3.12.12	Seven Knesset members split off from Kadima and established a new parliamentary group called Hatenua Chaired by Tzipi Livni.
3.12.12	MK Talab El-Sana split off from Ra'am-Ta'al and re-established the Arab Democratic Party ("Mada") parliamentary group.
3.12.12	MK Chaim Amsellem left Shas and began serving as a Single MK parliamentary group.

Color Key:
Black: A parliamentary group that served throughout the entire Knesset.
Blue: A parliamentary group that was voted into the Knesset but ceased to exist during that Knesset.
Green: A parliamentary group that was established during the Knesset and served until the end of that Knesset.
Orange: A parliamentary group that was established during the Knesset and also ceased to exist during the same Knesset.
Purple: A parliamentary group that was voted into the Knesset, then disbanded, and then returned during the same Knesset.
Pink: Knesset Member.

State Symbol - Menora and Olive Branches