1959 Israeli legislative election
{{short description|Elections for the fourth Knesset}}
{{Infobox legislative election
| country = Israel
| election_name = Elections for the 4th Knesset
| previous_election = 1955
| next_election = 1961
| seats_for_election = All 120 seats in the Knesset
| majority_seats = 61
| turnout = 81.6% ({{decrease}} 1.2 pp)
| election_date = 3 November 1959
| party1 = Mapai
| leader1 = David Ben-Gurion
| seats1 = 47
| last_election1 = 40
| votes1 = 370,585
| percentage1 = 38.2
| party2 = Herut
| leader2 = Menachem Begin
| seats2 = 17
| last_election2 = 15
| votes2 = 130,515
| percentage2 = 13.5
| party3 = National Religious Party
| leader3 = {{nowrap|Haim-Moshe Shapira}}
| seats3 = 12
| last_election3 = 11
| votes3 = 95,581
| percentage3 = 9.9
| party4 = Mapam
| leader4 = Meir Ya'ari
| seats4 = 9
| last_election4 = 9
| votes4 = 69,468
| percentage4 = 7.2
| party5 = General Zionists
| leader5 = Yosef Sapir
| seats5 = 8
| last_election5 = 13
| votes5 = 59,700
| percentage5 = 6.2
| party6 = Ahdut HaAvoda
| leader6 = Yisrael Galili
| seats6 = 7
| last_election6 = 10
| votes6 = 58,043
| percentage6 = 6.0
| party7 = Religious Torah Front
| leader7 = Yitzhak-Meir Levin
| seats7 = 6
| last_election7 = 6
| votes7 = 45,569
| percentage7 = 4.7
| party8 = Progressive Party (Israel)
| leader8 = Pinchas Rosen
| seats8 = 6
| last_election8 = 5
| votes8 = 44,889
| percentage8 = 4.6
| party9 = Maki (historical political party)
| leader9 = Shmuel Mikunis
| seats9 = 3
| last_election9 = 6
| votes9 = 27,374
| percentage9 = 2.8
| party10 = Progress and Development
| leader10 = Ahmed A-Dahar
| seats10 = 2
| last_election10 = new
| votes10 = 12,347
| percentage10 = 1.3
| party11 = Cooperation and Brotherhood
| leader11 = Labib Abu Rokan
| seats11 = 2
| last_election11 = new
| votes11 = 11,104
| percentage11 = 1.1
| party12 = Agriculture and Development
| leader12 = Mahmud Al-Nashaf
| seats12 = 1
| last_election12 = 1
| votes12 = 10,902
| percentage12 = 1.1
| before_election = David Ben-Gurion
| before_party = Mapai
| after_election = David Ben-Gurion
| after_party = Mapai
| title = Prime Minister
}}
Legislative elections were held in Israel on 3 November 1959 to elect the 120 members of the fourth Knesset. Mapai remained the dominant party, gaining seven seats. Following the elections, Mapai leader David Ben-Gurion formed ninth government on 17 December 1959. His coalition included the National Religious Party, Mapam, Ahdut HaAvoda, the Progressive Party and the three Israeli Arab parties, Progress and Development, Cooperation and Brotherhood and Agriculture and Development. The government had 16 ministers. Mapai's Kadish Luz became the Speaker of the Knesset.
Voter turnout was 81.6%.Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume I, p124 {{ISBN|0-19-924958-X}}
Results
{{Election results
|image=File:1959 Knesset.svg
|party1=Mapai|votes1=370585|seats1=47|sc1=+7
|party2=Herut|votes2=130515|seats2=17|sc2=+2
|party3=National Religious Party|votes3=95581|seats3=12|sc3=+1
|party4=Mapam|votes4=69468|seats4=9|sc4=0
|party5=General Zionists|votes5=59700|seats5=8|sc5=−5
|party6=Ahdut HaAvoda|votes6=58043|seats6=7|sc6=−3
|party7=Religious Torah Front|votes7=45569|seats7=6|sc7=0
|party8=Progressive Party|votes8=44889|seats8=6|sc8=+1
|party9=Maki|votes9=27374|seats9=3|sc9=−3
|party10=Progress and Development|votes10=12347|seats10=2|sc10=New
|party11=Cooperation and Brotherhood|votes11=11104|seats11=2|sc11=New
|party12=Agriculture and Development|votes12=10902|seats12=1|sc12=0
|party14=Union of North African Immigrants|votes14=8199|seats14=0|sc14=New
|party15=Progress and Work|votes15=4651|seats15=0|sc15=−2
|party16=Independent Faction for Israeli Arabs|votes16=3818|seats16=0|sc16=New
|party17=Israeli Arab Labour Party|votes17=3369|seats17=0|sc17=New
|party18=Sephardi National Party|votes18=3133|seats18=0|sc18=New
|party19=National Union|votes19=2456|seats19=0|sc19=0
|party20=Holocaust Handicapped and Injured Faction|votes20=1765|seats20=0|sc20=New
|party21=Yemenite Faction|votes21=1711|seats21=0|sc21=0
|party22=Independents|votes22=1611|seats22=0|sc22=New
|party23=Socialist Union (Bund)|votes23=1322|seats23=0|sc23=New
|party24=New Immigrants Front|votes24=631|seats24=0|sc24=0
|party25=Third Power|votes25=594|seats25=0|sc25=New
|invalid=24967
|total_sc=0
|electorate=1218483
|source=[https://en.idi.org.il/israeli-elections-and-parties/elections/1959/ IDI], Nohlen et al.
}}
Aftermath
The government collapsed when Ben-Gurion resigned on 31 January 1961, over a motion of no-confidence brought by Herut and the General Zionists in the wake of the Lavon Affair. When Ben-Gurion was unable to form a new government new elections were called. Serving one year and nine months, the fourth Knesset was the shortest Knesset term until the five-month twenty-first Knesset in 2019.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.knesset.gov.il/review/ReviewPage.aspx?kns=4&lng=3 Historical overview of the Fourth Knesset] Knesset website
- [https://www.knesset.gov.il/description/eng/eng_mimshal_res4.htm Elections to the Fourth Knesset] Knesset website
- [https://www.knesset.gov.il/history/eng/eng_hist4_s.htm Factional and Government Make-Up of the Fourth Knesset] Knesset website
{{Israeli elections}}
Category:Legislative elections in Israel