Left Camp of Israel

{{Infobox political party

| name = Left Camp of Israel

| logo =

| colorcode = Red

| leader = Uri Avnery
Aryeh Eliav

| ideology = Socialism

| country = Israel

| native_name = {{Script/Hebrew|מחנה שמאל לישראל}}

| founded = 1970s

| dissolved = 1980s

| merger = Independent Socialist Faction
Meri
Moked
some Black Panthers

| position = Left-wing

| seats1_title = Most MKs

| seats1 = 2 (1977–1980)

| seats2_title = {{nowrap|Fewest MKs}}

| seats2 = 1 (1980–1981)

| symbol = {{Script/Hebrew|ש}}

}}

The Left Camp of Israel ({{langx|he|מחנה שמאל לישראל}}, Maḥaneh Smol LeYisrael) was a left-wing political party in Israel. It was also known as Sheli ({{langx|he|של"י|link=no}}), an abbreviation for "Peace for Israel" ({{langx|he|שלום לישראל|link=no}}, Shalom LeYisrael).

Background

The party was formed prior to the 1977 elections by the merger of Meri, Moked, the Independent Socialist Faction and some members of the Black Panthers. It won two seats in the elections, which were held on a rotation basis by five party members; Uri Avnery (previously an MK for Meri), Aryeh Eliav (an MK for the Independent Socialist Faction in the previous Knesset), Meir Pa'il (an ex-Moked MK), Saadia Marciano and Walid Haj Yahia. Other prominent members of Sheli were the former deputy chief of staff of the Israeli army Matti Peled and Ran Cohen, who later served as an MK for Ratz and Meretz and a government minister.

The party, formed by a merger of leftist non-communist groups, was founded by Eliav, who was formerly secretary general of the Labor Party. Sheli called for negotiations with the Palestine Liberation Organization based on mutual recognition and for the establishment of an Arab Palestinian state.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=buyrxARN_H0C&pg=PT503|title=A Political and Economic Dictionary of the Middle East|author=David Seddon|year=2004|publisher=Europa Publications|page=503|isbn=9781135355616}}

On 11 November 1980, Marciano broke away from the party to form a single-member faction, later renamed Equality in Israel – Panthers. On 19 May 1981 he was joined by former Dash MK, Mordechai Elgrably. The new party was later renamed as the Unity Party.[https://www.knesset.gov.il/faction/eng/FactionHistoryAll_eng.asp Mergers and Splits Among Parliamentary Groups] Knesset website

The party failed to cross the election threshold in the 1981 election and subsequently disappeared, though many former party members joined the Progressive List for Peace and Ratz.

References

External links

[https://www.knesset.gov.il/faction/eng/FactionPage_eng.asp?PG=50 Left Camp of Israel (Sheli)] Knesset website

Category:Defunct political parties in Israel

Category:Socialist parties in Israel

Category:Far-left politics in Israel

Category:Far-left political parties

Category:Political parties disestablished in the 1980s