1959 Israeli legislative election
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Elections for the fourth Knesset were held in Israel on 3 November, 1959. Voter turnout was 79.5%.
Results
Party | Votes | % of vote | Seats at start of session | Seats at end of session |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mapai | 370,585 | 38.2% | 47 | 47 |
Herut | 130,515 | 13.5% | 17 | 17 |
National Religious Party | 95,581 | 9.9% | 12 | 12 |
Mapam | 69,468 | 7.2% | 9 | 9 |
General Zionists ¹ | 59,700 | 6.2% | 8 | 0 |
Ahdut HaAvoda | 58,043 | 6.0% | 7 | 7 |
Religious Torah Front ² | 45,569 | 4.7% | 6 | 6 |
Progressive Party ¹ | 44,889 | 4.6% | 6 | 0 |
Maki | 27,374 | 2.8% | 3 | 3 |
Progress and Development | 12,347 | 1.3% | 2 | 2 |
Cooperation and Brotherhood | 11,104 | 1.1% | 2 | 2 |
Agriculture and Development | 10,902 | 1.1% | 1 | 1 |
Union of North African Immigrants | 8,199 | 0.8% | 0 | 0 |
Progress and Work | 4,651 | 0.5% | 0 | 0 |
Independent Faction for Israeli Arabs | 3,818 | 0.4% | 0 | 0 |
Israeli Arab Labour Party | 3,369 | 0.3% | 0 | 0 |
Sephardi National Party | 3,133 | 0.3% | 0 | 0 |
National Union | 2,456 | 0.2% | 0 | 0 |
Holocaust Handicapped and Injured Faction | 1,765 | 0.2% | 0 | 0 |
Yemenite Faction | 1,711 | 0.2% | 0 | 0 |
Independents | 1,611 | 0.2% | 0 | 0 |
Socialist Union (Bund) | 1,322 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 |
New Immigrants Front | 631 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 |
Third Power | 594 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 |
Total | 969,337 | 100% | 120 | 100 |
Liberal Party ¹ | - | - | 0 | 14 |
Agudat Yisrael ² | - | - | 0 | 4 |
Poalei Agudat Yisrael ² | - | - | 0 | 2 |
Total | 120 | 120 | ||
¹ The General Zionists and the Progressive Party merged to form the Liberal Party
² The Religious Torah Front split into its two constituent parts, Agudat Yisrael and Poalei Agudat Yisrael
The Fourth Knesset
The fourth Knesset started with David Ben-Gurion's Mapai party forming the 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.
The government collapsed when Ben-Gurion resigned on 31 January 1961, over a motion of no-confidence brought by Herut and the General Zionists concerning the Lavon Affair. After Ben-Gurion was unable to form a new government new elections were called. At only one year and nine months, the fourth Knesset is the shortest Knesset term to date.
External links
- Historical overview of the Fourth Knesset Knesset website
- Elections to the Fourth Knesset Knesset website
- Factional and Government Make-Up of the Fourth Knesset Knesset website