Israeli legislative election, 2003

Elections for the 16th Knesset were held in Israel on 28 January 2003. The result was a resounding victory for Ariel Sharon's Likud.

The previous separate election for Prime Minister was scrapped, and the post was returned to the leader of the party successfully forming the working coalition government.

Background

Second Intifada

Main article: Second Intifada

Results

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/-
Likud 1 2 3	925,279	29.39	38	+19
Labor-Meimad 3	455,183	14.46	19	-6
Shinui 4	386,535	12.28	15	+9
Shas	258,879	8.22	11	-6
National Union 4 5	173,973	5.52	7	-1
Meretz-Yachad and the Democratic Choice	164,122	5.21	6	-4
National Religious Party 6	132,370	4.20	6	+1
United Torah Judaism 7	135,087	4.29	5	0
Hadash-Ta'al 8	93,819	2.98	3	0
One Nation 3	86,808	2.76	3	+1
Balad	71,299	2.26	3	+1
Yisrael BaAliyah 1	67,719	2.15	2	-4
United Arab List	65,551	2.08	2	-3
Ale Yarok	37,855	1.20	0	0
Herut – The National Movement	36,202	1.15	0	New
Progressive National Alliance	20,571	0.65	0	New
The Greens	12,833	0.41	0	0
Yisrael Aheret	7,144	0.23	0	New
Ahavat Yisrael	5,468	0.17	0	New
Tzomet	2,023	0.06	0	0
Centre Party	1,961	0.06	0	-6
Organization for Democratic Action	1,925	0.06	0	0
Citizen and State	1,566	0.05	0	New
Man's Rights in the Family Party	1,284	0.04	0	0
Lahava	1,181	0.04	0	New
Za'am	894	0.03	0	New
Leeder	833	0.03	0	New
Total	3,148,364	100	120	0

¹ Yisrael BaAliyah merged into Likud

² Fourteen MKs left Likud to establish Kadima.

³ One MK left One Nation to establish Noy, before joining Likud. One Nation then merged into Labour.

⁴ Eleven MKs left Shinui to establish the Secular Faction, whilst one left to establish HaOlim, which merged into the National Union. Two MKs left the Secular Faction to establish National Home.

⁵ Yisrael Beiteinu left the National Union.

⁶ Two MKs left the National Religious Party to establish the Renewed Religious National Zionist Party.

⁷ United Torah Judaism split into Agudat Yisrael (three seats) and Degel HaTorah (two seats).

⁸ Ta'al (one seat) broke away from Hadash.

The Sixteenth Knesset

Ariel Sharon formed the 30th government on 28 February 2003. His coalition initially included just Shinui and the National Union (Israel BaAliya had merged into Likud soon after the election), though the National Religious Party joined the government on 3 March.

Sharon's decision to implement the Gaza disengagement plan led to the National Union and the National Religious Party leaving the coalition during June and November 2004 respectively. Shinui left the government in December 2004 following disagreements over the budget.

Labour-Meimad joined the coalition in January 2005, with Agudat Israel added to the government in March 2005. Labour-Meimad later pulled out in November that year, the same month in which Sharon led a breakaway from Likud to form Kadima. Likud left the coalition in January 2006. Following Sharon's stroke, Ehud Olmert took over as Acting Prime Minister.

See also

• List of members of the sixteenth Knesset

External links

• Historical overview of the Sixteenth Knesset Knesset website (English)
• Factional and Government Make-Up of the Sixteenth Knesset Knesset website (English)
• Election Polls from the Official Israeli Media
• The elections in Israel, 2003 By Alan Arian, Asher Arian, Michal Shamir