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Israeli Labor Party facts for kids

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Labor Party
מפלגת העבודה
Chairman Yair Golan
Secretary-General Eran Hermoni
Founded 23 January 1968; 57 years ago (1968-01-23)
Merger of Workers' Party
Labor Unity
Workers List
Headquarters Tel Aviv
Youth wing Israeli Young Labor
Membership (2022) 36,000
Ideology
Political position Center-left to left-wing
National affiliation Alignment (1968–1991)
One Israel (1999–2001)
Zionist Union (2014–2019)
European affiliation Party of European Socialists (observer)
International affiliation Progressive Alliance
Colours           Red, blue
Knesset
4 / 120
Election symbol
אמת
أ‌م‌ت‎

The Israeli Labor Party (known in Hebrew as HaAvoda, meaning "The Labor") is a major political party in Israel. It believes in social democracy, which means it supports a fair society and a strong government role in helping people. The party also follows Labor Zionism, which combines workers' rights with the idea of a Jewish homeland.

The Labor Party was formed in 1968. It brought together three older parties: the Workers' Party, Labor Unity, and Workers List. For many years, until 1977, all of Israel's prime ministers came from the Labor movement. Today, the party leader is Yair Golan, who was chosen in May 2024.

The Labor Party is known for supporting peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. It also favors policies that help society and the economy. The party is part of the Progressive Alliance and is an observer member of the Party of European Socialists.

History of the Labor Party

The zionist center
Israeli Labor Party ballot slip – "Emet"

Becoming a Strong Political Party (1968–1977)

Havoda (1977-1992)
Original logo of the party from the 1980s

The Israeli Labor Party was created in 1968. Before that, a large left-wing party called the Workers' Party (Mapai) joined with Labor Unity. This happened before the 1965 elections. They formed an alliance to keep their power.

Some members, led by former Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, left the Workers' Party. They formed a new group called Workers List. They were unhappy about changes to the election system.

The alliance, known as the Labor Alignment, won many seats in the 1965 elections. They formed a government with other parties. After the Six-Day War, more parties joined the government.

On January 23, 1968, the Workers' Party, Labor Unity, and Workers List officially merged. This created the Israeli Labor Party. In 1969, the new party joined with another group, Mapam, forming the Alignment.

The Labor Party became the most powerful part of the Alignment. They led the government for many years. During the 1970s, Labor governments expanded social programs. They increased pension benefits and created new social security plans. These included disability insurance and unemployment insurance. They also started programs for housing and sick leave pay.

Years in Opposition and Comeback (1977–2001)

Logo haAwoda
Party logo adopted in 1992, used until 2016
Labor-Meimad
Logo of the Labor-Meimad List during the 2003 election
Havoda (2016)
Leaning version of the current party logo, adopted in 2016

In the 1977 elections, the Labor Party lost power for the first time. They became the main opposition party. In 1984, Labor joined a "national unity government" with the Likud party. The role of Prime Minister was shared between the two parties.

In 1991, the Alignment officially ended. All its groups became part of the Labor Party. The country faced economic problems and many new immigrants. In 1992, led by Yitzhak Rabin, Labor won the elections. They formed a new government.

This Labor government improved social support for people. They helped single parents and people with disabilities. They also increased grants for families in need. In 1995, a national health insurance policy was started. They also invested in development projects.

Labor's role became strongly linked to the Oslo Accords. These were peace agreements based on "land for peace." The government narrowly approved these agreements.

In 1995, Prime Minister Rabin was assassinated because of the peace talks. Shimon Peres took over and called early elections in 1996. Labor won the most seats, but Peres lost the election for Prime Minister to Benjamin Netanyahu.

In 1999, Ehud Barak became the Labor leader. The party formed an alliance called One Israel. Barak won the election for Prime Minister. He formed a large government with several other parties.

Decline of the Party (2001–Present)

After some riots and violence, Ehud Barak resigned in 2001. He lost a special election to Ariel Sharon of the Likud party. Labor still joined Sharon's government for a while. They held important roles like Foreign Affairs Minister and Defense Minister.

In 2003, Labor left the government. They had disagreements about the peace process. In the 2003 elections, Labor won fewer seats. Amram Mitzna became leader but soon resigned. Shimon Peres then became interim leader.

In 2005, Amir Peretz was elected as the new Labor leader. He wanted to bring back the party's focus on social issues. He took the party out of the government. This led to new elections in 2006.

Before the 2006 elections, a new party called Kadima was formed. It included Sharon and many members from Likud and Labor. In the elections, Labor won 19 seats. They joined the government led by Kadima.

In 2007, Ehud Barak was re-elected as Labor leader. He became Defense Minister. In the 2009 elections, Labor won only 13 seats. This made them the fourth largest party.

Many reasons are given for Labor's decline. Some say the party lost its connection to building the state of Israel. Others point to its support for the Oslo Accords, which faced problems. Changes in the population also affected their votes.

In 2011, Ehud Barak left Labor to form a new party. This led to a call for new leadership. Shelly Yachimovich was elected leader in 2011. She promised a new start for Israeli society. Isaac Herzog replaced her as leader in 2013.

In the 2015 elections, Labor formed an alliance called Zionist Union. They won 24 seats, with 19 belonging to Labor. This alliance continued until 2019.

In April 2019, Labor's support dropped sharply. They won only 6 seats, their worst result ever. Avi Gabbay resigned as leader. In July 2019, Amir Peretz was elected leader again. He formed alliances with other parties for the next elections.

In March 2020, Labor joined a "national unity government" led by Benjamin Netanyahu. This was despite earlier promises not to. Amir Peretz became the Economic Minister.

In 2021, Merav Michaeli was elected Labor leader. She did not join the Netanyahu government. In the 2021 elections, Labor increased its seats to 7. The party then joined a new government. Michaeli was re-elected leader in 2022. However, in the 2022 elections, the party won only four seats.

In December 2023, Merav Michaeli announced she would step down. In May 2024, Yair Golan won the leadership election.

Political Principles

Past Principles

The original party that formed Labor, Mapai, believed in Labor Zionism. This idea combined creating a Jewish homeland with workers' rights. Early leaders focused on building the new state of Israel. This included forming the Israel Defense Forces and settling many Jewish immigrants. They wanted to unite all people in Israel under a new Israeli culture.

In the past, Labor was tougher on security issues. During their time in power, Israel fought several wars.

Current Principles

Today, the Labor Party supports a mixed economy. This means a balance between private businesses and government involvement. They believe in strong social welfare programs. These programs help people with things like minimum wage and social security.

In foreign policy, Labor works closely with the United States. They believe that peace with Palestinians needs strong agreements. Labor supports a two-state solution. This means creating an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

On social issues, Labor supports same-sex marriage. They also want public transportation to run on Shabbat (the Jewish day of rest).

Labor is committed to Israel being both a Jewish and a democratic state. They believe in a strong defense force. They also support protecting individual human rights. The party opposed the "Nation State Bill" in 2018. They want to add a rule that emphasizes equality for all citizens.

Party leaders

No. Image Leader Took office Left office Prime Ministerial tenure Knesset elections Elected/reelected as leader
1 Portrait of prime minister Levy Eshkol. August 1963. D699-070.jpg Levi Eshkol 1968 1969 1963–1969 1965 (as leader of Mapai) 1965 (Mapai)
2 Golda Meir 03265u.jpg Golda Meir 1969 1974 1969–1974 1969, 1973 1969
3 Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - Life of Lt. Gen. Yitzhak Rabin, 7th IDF Chief of Staff in photos (11).jpg Yitzhak Rabin 1974 1977 1974–1977 1974, 1977 (Feb)
4 Shimon Peres (1986).jpg Shimon Peres 1977 1992 1984–1986 1977, 1981, 1984, 1988 1977 (Apr), 1980, 1984
(3) Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - Life of Lt. Gen. Yitzhak Rabin, 7th IDF Chief of Staff in photos (11).jpg Yitzhak Rabin 1992 1995 1992–1995 1992 1992
(4) Shimon Peres by David Shankbone.jpg Shimon Peres 1995 1997 1995–1996 1996 1995
5 Ehud Barak 2016 - Herzliya Conference 2016 3015 (cropped).jpg Ehud Barak 1997 2001 1999–2001 1999 1997
6 Fuad.jpg Binyamin Ben-Eliezer 2001 2002 2001
7 Amram Mitzna 2019.jpg Amram Mitzna 2002 2003 2003 2002
(4) Shimon Peres 2005.jpg Shimon Peres interim 2003 2005 2003
8 Defense.gov photo essay 070419-D-7203T-008 (cropped).jpg Amir Peretz 2005 2007 2006 2005
(5) Ehud Barak at Pentagon, 11-2009.jpg Ehud Barak 2007 2011 2009 2007
9 שלי.jpg Shelly Yachimovich 2011 2013 2013 2011
10 Isaac Herzog.jpg Isaac Herzog 2013 2017 2015 2013
11 Avi Gabay 2017 (cropped).jpg Avi Gabbay 2017 2019 2019 (Apr) 2017
(8) Amir Peretz 2019.jpg Amir Peretz 2019 2021 2019 (Sep), 2020 2019
12 Merav Michaeli by Ron Kedmi.jpg Merav Michaeli 2021 2024 2021, 2022 2021, 2022
13 Yair Golan 2020 (1).jpg Yair Golan 2024 Incumbent 2024

How Leaders are Chosen

In the past, the Labor Party's leader was chosen by a vote of its Central Committee. Later, they changed this to a vote by delegates at party meetings. Since 1992, the party leader is usually chosen by a vote of all party members.

There have been a few exceptions. After Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated in 1995, the Central Committee chose Shimon Peres as the new leader. In 2003, the Central Committee also chose Shimon Peres to be an interim leader until a new permanent leader could be elected.

Other Important Members

Many important figures in Israel's history have been part of the Labor Party. These include several former Presidents and Ministers:

Election Results

Knesset Elections

Election Leader Votes % Seats +/– Government
1969 Golda Meir Part of Alignment
49 / 120
Coalition
1973
44 / 120
Decrease 5 Coalition
1977 Shimon Peres
28 / 120
Decrease 16 Opposition
1981
40 / 120
Increase 12 Opposition
1984
37 / 120
Decrease 3 Coalition
1988 685,363 30.02 (#2)
39 / 120
Increase 2 Coalition (1988–1990)
Opposition (1990–1992)
1992 Yitzhak Rabin 906,810 34.65 (#1)
44 / 120
Increase 5 Coalition
1996 Shimon Peres 818,741 26.83 (#1)
34 / 120
Decrease 10 Opposition
1999 Ehud Barak Part of One Israel
23 / 120
Decrease 11 Coalition (1999–2002)
Opposition (2002–2003)
2003 Amram Mitzna 455,183 14.46 (#2)
18 / 120
Decrease 5 Opposition (2003–2005)
Coalition (2005)
Opposition (2005–2006)
2006 Amir Peretz 472,366 15.06 (#2)
18 / 120
Steady Coalition
2009 Ehud Barak 334,900 9.93 (#4)
13 / 120
Decrease 5 Coalition (2009–2011)
Opposition (2011–2013)
2013 Shelly Yachimovich 432,118 11.39 (#3)
15 / 120
Increase 2 Opposition
2015 Isaac Herzog Part of Zionist Union
19 / 120
Increase 4 Opposition
Apr 2019 Avi Gabbay 190,870 4.43 (#6)
6 / 120
Decrease 13 Snap election
Sep 2019 Amir Peretz 212,782 4.80 (#9)
5 / 120
Decrease 1 Snap election
2020 Part of Labor-Gesher-Meretz
3 / 120
Decrease 2 Coalition
2021 Merav Michaeli 268,737 6.09 (#6)
7 / 120
Increase 4 Coalition
2022 175,922 3.69 (#10)
4 / 120
Decrease 3 Opposition
TBD Yair Golan TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD

Prime Minister Elections

Election Candidate Votes  % Result
1996 Shimon Peres 1,471,566 49.5 (#2) Lost
1999 Ehud Barak 1,791,020 56.1 (#1) Won
2001 Ehud Barak 1,023,944 37.6 (#2) Lost

Current Members of Knesset (MKs)

Year Members Total
2022– Merav Michaeli, Naama Lazimi, Gilad Kariv, Efrat Rayten 4

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Partido Laborista Israelí para niños

  • Israeli Labor Party primaries
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