Factional and Government Make-Up of the Fourth Knesset

The Knesset History

The Main Events and Issues During the Fourth Knesset

The opening session of the Fourth Knesset,
with President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, 30.11.1959

MKs from the Torah Front, 30.11.1959.

The Lavon Affair: Foreign Minister Golda Meir with former Minister of Defense, Pinhas Lavon, 30.11.1959.

Select a Knesset:

Factional and Government Make-Up of the Fourth Knesset

Elected on 3 November, 1959.
Speaker: Kadish Luz;
Deputy Speakers: Arie Ben-Eliezer, Aharon Ya'acov Greenberg, Beba Idelson, Binyamin Mintz, Hanan Rubin, Yisrael Yeshayahu-Shar'abi;
Secretary General: Moshe Rosetti

Name of List Votes in Percentage Number of Seats Number of Seats Before Next Elections

Mapai 38.2 47 47

Herut Movement 13.5 17 17

National Religious Party 9.9 12 12

Mapam 7.2 9 9

General Zionists ¹ 6.2 8 0

Ahdut Ha'avoda 6.0 7 7

United Torah Front ² 4.7 6 0

Progressive Party ¹ 4.6 6 0

Maki 2.8 3 3

Kidma Vepituah ³ 1.3 2 2

Shituf Ve`ahva ³ 1.1 2 2

Agriculture and Development ³ 1.1 1 1

Agudat Yisrael - 0 4

Po'alei Agudat Yisrael - 0 2

Liberal Party - 0 14

¹ Merged into the Liberal Party.
² Split into Agudat Yisrael and Poalei Agudat Yisrael.
³ Arab minorities lists associated with Mapai.

The ninth government was formed by David Ben Gurion, on 17 December, 1959.
The coalition members were: Mapai, National Religious Party, Mapam, Ahdut Ha'avoda, the Progressive Party, the minority lists and one non-partisan member. The number of ministers when the government was formed - 16. The Prime Minister resigned on 31 January, 1961, against the background of a motion of no-confidence tabled by Herut and the General Zionists, in connection with the Lavon Affair, involving accusations by the Prime Minsiter against the former Defense Minister in connection with the spying affair uncovered in Egypt in 1954.