1961 Israeli legislative election

{{main list|List of political parties in Israel}}

The table below lists the parliamentary factions represented in the 4th Knesset.

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! rowspan="2" colspan=2| Name

! rowspan="2"| Ideology

! rowspan="2"| Symbol

! rowspan="2"| Leader

! colspan="2"| 1959 result

! rowspan="2" |Seats at 1964
dissolution

|-

! Votes (%)

! Seats

|-

| style="background:{{party color|Mapai}};"|

| Mapai

| Social democracy
Labor Zionism

| {{Script/Hebrew|א}}

| David Ben-Gurion

| style="text-align:center;"|38.2%

| {{Composition bar|47|120|{{party color|Mapai}}}}

|{{Composition bar|47|120|{{party color|Mapai}}}}

|-

| style="background:{{party color|Herut}};"|

| Herut

| Revisionist Zionism

| {{Script/Hebrew|ח}}

| Menachem Begin

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan=1|13.5%

| {{Composition bar|17|120|{{party color|Herut}}}}

| {{Composition bar|17|120|{{party color|Herut}}}}

|-

| style="background:{{party color|Israeli Liberal Party}};"|

| Liberal Party

| Liberalism

| {{Script/Hebrew|ל}}

| Pinchas Rosen
Peretz Bernstein

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan=1|-

| {{Composition bar|0|120|{{party color|Israeli Liberal Party}}}}

| {{Composition bar|14|120|{{party color|Israeli Liberal Party}}}}

|-

| style="background:{{party color|National Religious Party}};"|

| National Religious Party

| Religious Zionism

| {{Script/Hebrew|ב}}

| Haim-Moshe Shapira

| style="text-align:center;"|9.9%

| {{Composition bar|12|120|{{party color|National Religious Party}}}}

|{{Composition bar|12|120|{{party color|National Religious Party}}}}

|-

| style="background:{{party color|Mapam}};"|

| Mapam

| Labor Zionism
Socialism

| {{Script/Hebrew|מ}}

| Meir Ya'ari

| style="text-align:center;"|7.2%

| {{Composition bar|9|120|{{party color|Mapam}}}}

|{{Composition bar|9|120|{{party color|Mapam}}}}

|-

| style="background:{{party color|General Zionists}};"|

| General Zionists

| Liberalism

| {{Script/Hebrew|צ}}

| Yosef Sapir

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan=1|6.2%

| {{Composition bar|8|120|{{party color|General Zionists}}}}

| {{Composition bar|0|120|{{party color|General Zionists}}}}

|-

| style="background:{{party color|Ahdut HaAvoda}};"|

| Ahdut HaAvoda

| Labor Zionism

| {{Script/Hebrew|תו}}

| Yisrael Galili

| style="text-align:center;"|6.0%

| {{Composition bar|7|120|{{party color|Ahdut HaAvoda}}}}

|{{Composition bar|7|120|{{party color|Ahdut HaAvoda}}}}

|-

| style="background:{{party color|Agudat Yisrael}};"|

| Agudat Yisrael

| Religious conservatism

| {{Script/Hebrew|ג}}

| Yitzhak-Meir Levin

| style="text-align:center;"rowspan=2|4.7%{{efn|name=A|Agudat Yisrael and PAI ran as a joint list called Religious Torah Front.}}

| {{Composition bar|3|120|{{party color|Agudat Yisrael}}}}

|{{Composition bar|3|120|{{party color|Agudat Yisrael}}}}

|-

| style="background:{{party color|Poalei Agudat Yisrael}};"|

| Poalei Agudat Yisrael

| Religious conservatism

| {{Script/Hebrew|ד}}

| Kalman Kahana

| {{Composition bar|3|120|{{party color|Poalei Agudat Yisrael}}}}

|{{Composition bar|3|120|{{party color|Poalei Agudat Yisrael}}}}

|-

| style="background:{{party color|Progressive Party (Israel)}};"|

| Progressive Party

| Liberalism
Progressivism

| {{Script/Hebrew|פ}}

| Pinchas Rosen

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan=1|4.6%

| {{Composition bar|6|120|{{party color|Progressive Party (Israel)}}}}

| {{Composition bar|0|120|{{party color|Progressive Party (Israel)}}}}

|-

| style="background:{{party color|Maki (historical political party)}};"|

| Maki

| Communism

| {{Script/Hebrew|ק}}

| Shmuel Mikunis

| style="text-align:center;"|2.8%

| {{Composition bar|3|120|{{party color|Maki (historical political party)}}}}

|{{Composition bar|3|120|{{party color|Maki (historical political party)}}}}

|-

| style="background:#C61318;"|

| Progress and Development

| Arab satellite list

| {{Script/Hebrew|רא}}

| Ahmed A-Dahar

| style="text-align:center;"|1.3%

| {{Composition bar|2|120|#C61318}}

|{{Composition bar|2|120|#C61318}}

|-

| style="background:#C61318;"|

| Cooperation and Brotherhood

| Arab satellite list

| {{Script/Hebrew|יא}}

| Labib Hussein Abu Rokan

| style="text-align:center;"|1.1%

| {{Composition bar|2|120|#C61318}}

|{{Composition bar|2|120|#C61318}}

|-

| style="background:#C61318;"|

| Agriculture and Development

| Arab satellite list

| {{Script/Hebrew|ע}}

| Mahmud Al-Nashaf

| style="text-align:center;"|1.1%

| {{Composition bar|1|120|#C61318}}

|{{Composition bar|1|120|#C61318}}

|-

|}

{{Election results

|image=File:1961 Knesset.svg

|party1=Mapai|votes1=349330|seats1=42|sc1=−5

|party2=Herut|votes2=138599|seats2=17|sc2=0

|party3=Liberal Party|votes3=137255|seats3=17|sc3=+3

|party4=National Religious Party|votes4=98786|seats4=12|sc4=0

|party5=Mapam|votes5=75654|seats5=9|sc5=0

|party6=Ahdut HaAvoda|votes6=66170|seats6=8|sc6=+1

|party7=Maki|votes7=42111|seats7=5|sc7=+2

|party8=Agudat Yisrael|votes8=37178|seats8=4|sc8=0

|party9=Poalei Agudat Yisrael|votes9=19428|seats9=2|sc9=0

|party10=Cooperation and Brotherhood|votes10=19342|seats10=2|sc10=0

|party11=Progress and Development|votes11=16034|seats11=2|sc11=0

|party13=Progress and Work|votes13=3561|seats13=0|sc13=0

|party14=Religious Sephardim List|votes14=3181|seats14=0|sc14=New

|party15=Supporters of Democracy|votes15=335|seats15=0|sc15=New

|invalid=30066

|total_sc=0

|electorate=1271285

|source=[https://en.idi.org.il/israeli-elections-and-parties/elections/1961/ IDI], Nohlen et al.

}}

{{see also|List of members of the fifth Knesset}}

During the Knesset term, eight MKs broke away from Mapai to establish Rafi and two MKs left Maki to establish Rakah. Herut and the Liberal Party merged to form Gahal. Seven Liberal Party members unhappy with the decision (largely former Progressive Party members) broke away to form the Independent Liberals.

{{Main|Tenth government of Israel}}

The fifth Knesset started with David Ben-Gurion's Mapai party forming the tenth government on 2 November 1961. His coalition included the National Religious Party, Ahdut HaAvoda, Agudat Israel Workers, Cooperation and Brotherhood and Progress and Development, and had 13 ministers. Kadish Luz of Mapai was appointed Knesset Speaker. The government collapsed when Ben-Gurion resigned on 16 June 1963 citing personal reasons, but in reality was annoyed at a perceived lack of support from his colleagues. He later broke away from Mapai with several colleagues to form Rafi.

{{Main|Eleventh government of Israel}}

Levi Eshkol took over Mapai and formed the eleventh government on 26 June 1963 with the same coalition partners as previously, but one more minister. The government resigned on 10 December 1964 when Ben-Gurion demanded that members of the Supreme Court investigate the Lavon Affair.

{{Main|Twelfth government of Israel}}

Eshkol formed the twelfth government a week later on 22 December 1964 with the same coalition partners and ministers as previously.

The fifth Knesset was notable for the coalescing of the two major right-wing parties (Herut and the Liberal Party) to form an electoral block (Gahal) capable of threatening Mapai's hegemony in Israeli politics. Gahal, which by then had become Likud, finally overtook Mapai (which had merged into the Alignment) in the 1977 elections.

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.knesset.gov.il/review/ReviewPage.aspx?kns=5&lng=3 Historical overview of the Fifth Knesset] Knesset website
• [https://www.knesset.gov.il/description/eng/eng_mimshal_res5.htm Election results] Knesset website
• [https://www.knesset.gov.il/history/eng/eng_hist5_s.htm The Fifth Knesset] Knesset website

{{Israeli elections}}

Legislative

Legislative election

Category:Legislative elections in Israel

Israel

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Category:David Ben-Gurion

Category:Menachem Begin