1981 Israeli legislative election

none October 2025 1977 1984 30 June 1981 All 120 seats in the Knesset 61 78.50% ( 0.73pp) Israel Likud Menachem Begin 48 45 37.11 Alignment (Israel) Shimon Peres 47 32 36.57 National Religious Party Yosef Burg 6 12 4.92 Agudat Yisrael Avraham Yosef Shapira 4 4 3.73 Hadash Meir Vilner 4 5 3.35 Tehiya Yuval Ne'eman 3 new 2.31 Tami Aharon Abuhatzira #5294AE 3 new 2.30 Telem #825A47 Moshe Dayan 2 new 1.58 Shinui Amnon Rubinstein 2 7 1.54 Ratz (political party) Shulamit Aloni 1 1 1.44 Prime Minister Menachem Begin Likud Menachem Begin Likud Legislative elections were held in Israel on 30 June 1981 to elect the 120 members of the Knesset. The ruling Likud won one more seat than the opposition Alignment, in line with many polls which had predicted a tight race.https://www.theguardian.com/world/1981/jun/30/israel Labour leads on eve of Israeli poll Silver Eric 1981-06-30 The Guardian 2017-04-28 en-GB 0261-3077 Voter turnout was 78.5%,https://www.knesset.gov.il/history/eng/eng_hist10_s.htm Factional and Government Make-Up of the Tenth Knesset with Likud receiving around ten thousand more than the Alignment. This elections highlighted the polarization in the country.The Elections in Israel, 1981 Arian Asher Ramot Publishing Co 1983 Israel Background Prior to the elections, Menachem Begin's government faced instability due to internal conflict amongst coalition partners and international pressures, as well as issues with corruption, and failure to pass legislation. Discontent with the government was growing, and 40% of people agreed that "the major problems facing the state and the entire political system must be changed and a strong government of leaders and independent of parties should take control".Hasin, E. (1981). Survey conducted by M. Zemach. January 1981, quoted in "The Israeli Democracy: The Beginning of the End?" Monition 30:73-75. Parliament factions List of political parties in Israel The table below lists the parliamentary factions at the end of the 9th Knesset.9th Knesset https://main.knesset.gov.il/en/about/history/pages/knessethistory.aspx?kns=9 26 December 2025 Knesset Name Ideology Symbol Leader 1977 resultSeats at 1981dissolution Votes (%) Seats Likud National liberalism מחל Menachem Begin33.4% 43 120 Likud 40 120 Likud Alignment Social democracyLabor Zionism אמת Shimon Peres24.6% 32 120 Alignment (Israel)33 120 Alignment (Israel) Democratic Movement LiberalismdissolvedThe party had 3 MKs at time of dissolution, all of whom sat as independents for the remainder of the term. Yigael Yadin11.6%Democratic Movement for Change 15 120 Democratic Movement for Change0 120 Democratic Movement for Change Shinui LiberalismCentrism הן Amnon Rubinstein 0 120 Shinui5 120 Shinui Ahva Liberalism did not run Shlomo Eliahu 0 120 #163F7A1 120 #163F7A Ya'ad Liberalism יט Assaf Yaguri 0 120 #0272A01 120 #0272A0 Mafdal Religious Zionism ב Yosef Burg9.2% 12 120 National Religious Party12 120 National Religious Party Hadash CommunismSocialism ו Meir Vilner4.6% 5 120 Hadash5 120 Hadash Agudat Yisrael Religious conservatism ג Yehuda Meir Abramowicz3.3% 4 120 Agudat Yisrael4 120 Agudat Yisrael Telem Centrism כן Moshe Dayan- 0 120 #825A474 120 #825A47 Tehiya UltranationalismRevisionist Zionism ת Yuval Ne'emanGeula Cohen- 0 120 Tehiya2 120 Tehiya Development and Peace Right-wing populism פש Shmuel Flatto-Sharon2.0% 1 120 Development and Peace (political party)1 120 Development and Peace (political party) Shlomtzion Liberal conservatism כנ Ariel Sharon1.9% 2 120 Shlomtzion (political party)0 120 Shlomtzion (political party) One Israel Liberal conservatism ט Yitzhak Yitzhaky 0 120 Shlomtzion (political party)1 120 Shlomtzion (political party) Sheli SocialismPacifism ש Meir Pa'ilWalid Haj Yahia was the party's sole MK at the dissolution of the Knesset.1.6% 2 120 Left Camp of Israel1 120 Left Camp of Israel United Arab List Arab satellite list ימ Seif el-Din el-Zoubi1.4% 1 120 #C613181 120 #C61318 Poalei Agudat Yisrael Religious conservatism ד Kalman Kahana1.3% 1 120 Poalei Agudat Yisrael1 120 Poalei Agudat Yisrael Ratz ProgressivismSecularism רצ Shulamit Aloni1.2% 1 120 #C800041 120 #C80004 Independent Liberals Liberalism לע Gideon Hausner1.2% 1 120 Independent Liberals (Israel)1 120 Independent Liberals (Israel) Unity Party SocialismEquality for Mizrahi Jews זה Saadia Marciano- 0 120 #3861952 120 #386195 Independent - - -- 0 120 Independent (politician)4 120 Independent (politician) Electoral system The 120 seats in the Knesset were elected by closed list proportional representation, with seats allocated using the D'Hondt method. This led to numerous parties winning seats and multi-party government coalitions.May 2025 Campaign Since 1965 parties had begun abandoning attempts to frame moral issues in favor of spreading wider nets to catch a bigger range of voters. Rather than focusing on controversial issues that divided them, parties took to forming clusters that resorted to "emotive catchwords" and the lowest common denominator.Mendilow Jonathan 1983 Party Clustering in Multi-Party Systems: The Example of Israel (1965-1981) American Journal of Political Science 27 1 64–85 10.2307/2111053 2111053 The party clusters had set aside fundamental ideals in order to work together, which meant that infighting amongst the coalitions was inevitable. Menachem Begin, Likud's most popular candidate, served as a strong factor for the party's resurgence. 41% of the adult Jews responded in favor of seeing Begin as prime minister, with 49% saying Begin would better be able to deal with the country's problems.Survey by Dahaf Research Institute, June 1981, N=1237 The Alignment, whose announcement of potential major ministerial appointments failed to include Yitzhak Rabin, left the impression of a power-hungry group of politicians, with animosity between party leaders Shimon Peres and Rabin. Public perception of the parties became instrumental in the elections; throughout the campaign the Alignment was seen and painted as the establishment party, considered by 48% of Israeli citizens surveyed to be more old-fashioned, despite its opposition to the government for the four years prior. The Alignment was also seen as self-interested by rather than interested in the good of the people, as well as corrupt. Likud, meanwhile, was seen as slightly stronger (50% as compared with the Alignment's 44%), more honest (57%), and more concerned with the fate of the citizens than that of the party (45%). Likud was able to benefit from having only been created 8 years prior, giving it an image of newness and innocence. Public perception of the partiesArian Asher April 1981 Israeli Election Study, 1981 http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/IFSS/studies/2996 Israel Institute of Applied Social Research 2017-04-29 2020-07-25 https://web.archive.org/web/20200725024217/https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/IFSS/studies/2996 deadCharacteristicIdealAlignmentLikudStrong/weak93/9244/3350/33Right/left55/1328/4077/7Old-fashioned/progressive15/6148/2642/31Middle class/working class28/3227/4255/14Young/old52/1017/5128/35Sephardi/Ashkenazi11/116/4718/25Worries about itself/the citizens3/8943/3731/45Inexperienced/experienced4/864/7945/38Honest/corrupt35/3957/18Cannot/can be believed36/4232/48 Ethnic tensions The 1981 elections also saw a rise in the use of ethnic ideas within the political discourse. Hanna Herzog, 'The Ethnic Lists to the Delegates' Assembly and the Knesset (1920 1977) Ethnic Political Identity?' Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Tel Aviv University, 1981. — Related published work: Herzog Hanna Political Factionalism: The Case of Ethnic Lists in Israel The Western Political Quarterly June 1986 39 2 285–303 10.2307/448299 448299 While Likud and the Alignment were both led by Ashkenazi politicians, the Alignment was considered the party of the Ashkenazi Jews, with the Sephardic vote lost to Likud. The likelihood of Sephardim voting for Likud and Ashkenazim voting for the Alignment was more pronounced than ever before.Shamir Michal Arian Asher The ethnic vote in Israel's 1981 elections Electoral Studies en 1 3 315–331 10.1016/0261-3794(82)90221-9 1982 However, Likud enjoyed the advantage of still being able to appeal to a significant number of Ashkenazi voters, while also maintaining their Sephardi popularity; in contrast, the Alignment was seen as even less Sephardi than in previous years. Ethnicity was a key theme in Begin's Tchach-Tchachim Speech he נאום הצ'חצ'חים.Begin 1981 In Menachem Begin's Rise, Lessons for the #Resistance to Trump https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/menachem-begin-lessons-for-resistance-to-trump Tablet Magazine 29 June 2018 In 1981, with [Menachem] Begin up for reelection … “They fastened the grenade to their hearts”, Begin said emotionally, “and they pulled the pin. An Ashkenazi Jew? An Iraqi Jew? They were Jews! Brothers! Warriors!” Begin won reelection. Elad Nachshon The Alliance of Excluded Minorities: Menachem Begin and the Speech of the Tzachachim he: ברית המיעוטים המודרים: מנחם בגין ונאום הצ'חצ'חים https://hashiloach.org.il/begins-speech/ השילוח hashiloach.org.il 11 November 2022 he-IL He praised pre-state militants from Middle Eastern backgrounds, including one who played a role in the King David Hotel bombing.Begin 1981David The most famous line: "They fastened the grenade to their hearts, and they pulled the pin. An Ashkenazi Jew? An Iraqi Jew? They were Jews! Brothers! Warriors!" referred to two of the Olei Hagardom who killed themselves in a Jerusalem prison in 1947.Begin 1981Brothers Conduct Police noted before election day that "there hasn't been an election campaign in Israel as violent as the present one". Salpeter, Eliahu. "A Scary Face in the Mirror." Haaretz, 19 June 1981, p.14. please link an archive, even paywalled is better than nothing May 2025 A reason for the violence may have been that this was the first elections in which the public believed both sides had a chance of winning, causing unrest and agitation.Lehman-Wilzig Sam 1983 Thunder Before The Storm: Pre-Election Agitation And Post-Election Turmoil The Elections in Israel, 1983 207 Party slogans Party or allianceOriginal sloganסיסמאות בפוליטיקה הישראלית https://he.wikiquote.org/wiki/%D7%A1%D7%99%D7%A1%D7%9E%D7%90%D7%95%D7%AA_%D7%91%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%98%D7%99%D7%A7%D7%94_%D7%94%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%AA 28 December 2025 Hebrew Wikiquote1981 Courage in war, Courage for peace: Sheli https://rosetta.nli.org.il/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE5068184 31 December 2025English translationLikud"הליכוד בדרך הנכונה""Likud is on the right track"Alignment"יחד ישראל חזקה""Together Israel is strong"Mafdal"אני עם הסרוגה""I'm with the knitted [kippah]"Hadash"תן קולך לחד"ש- תן קולך להדברות ולשלום""Cast your vote for Hadash – cast your vote for dialogue and peace"Tehiya"להרים את הדגל בכנסת""Raising the flag in the KnessetSheli"אומץ במלחמה - אומץ לשלום!""Courage in war - courage for peace!"Ratz"אני רצ עכשיו""I'm running [Ratz] now"Tami"בקומה זקופה!""Stand up straight!" Results Scholars attribute the Likud's comeback, from its lowest point six months prior to the 1981 legislative election, to five main factors: incumbency, candidates, images, campaigns, violence, and ethnicity.The Elections in Israel, 1981 Arian Asher Ramot Publishing Co. 1983 1–5 Likud's role as the ruling party enabled the party to use its incumbency advantage to increase popularity with policy implementation. The party implemented tax programs that lowered prices for consumers, subsidized oil products at a higher rate than ever before, and used foreign policy that made the Alignment seem unpatriotic if they argued against the moves. File:Israel Knesset 1981.svg Likud 718941 48 +3 Alignment 708536 47 +15 National Religious Party 95232 6 −6 Agudat Yisrael 72312 4 0 Hadash 64918 4 −1 Tehiya 44700 3 New Tami 44466 3 New #5294AE Telem 30600 2 New #825A47 Shinui 29837 2 –5 Ratz 27921 1 0 Poalei Agudat Yisrael 17090 0 −1 Independent Liberals 11764 0 −1 United Arab List 11590 0 −1 Development and Peace 10823 0 −1 Left Camp of Israel 8691 0 −2 Arab Brotherhood List 8304 0 New List for Aliyah 6992 0 New Kach 5128 0 0 Independence 4710 0 New One Israel 3726 0 New Arab Citizens' List 2596 0 New Pensioners' List 2404 0 New Unity Party 1293 0 New #386195 Ya'ad 1228 0 New Otzma 839 0 New Tent Movement 545 0 New Abolish Income Tax 503 0 New Amkha 460 0 New Youth Movement 412 0 New Council to Rescue the Homeland 405 0 New Initiative–Independents Movement 400 0 New 17243 0 2490014 IDI, Nohlen et al. Aftermath Menachim Begin (of the Likud) became Prime Minister and in August 1981 included the National Religious Party, Agudat Yisrael, the Movement for the Heritage of Israel (Tami) and Tehiya in his coalition to form the nineteenth government. After Begin resigned for health reasons, Yitzhak Shamir formed the twentieth government in October 1983, with the same coalition parties. During the Knesset term, two MKs defected from Likud to the Alignment. Haim Drukman left the National Religious Party and sat as an independent MK, whilst two other MKs left the National Religious Party and formed Gesher – Zionist Religious Centre before returning two weeks later. Telem split into Ometz and the Movement for the Renewal of Social Zionism, whilst Ratz joined the Alignment but then broke away again.May 2025 See also 1980 Israeli Labor Party leadership election The Tchach-Tchachim Speech he נאום הצ'חצ'חים – famous speech from the 1981 election. Tchach-Tchachim he צ'חצ'חים – anti-Mizrahi slur from the speech. Notes David he המפקד הגדול במחוזות היה תימני; עוזי היה ספרדי; גידי, שעשה את הפעולה ההיסטורית של מלון המלך דויד, היה ספרדי; הממונה על כל האסירים בלטרון היה תימני - וכל הבחורים שלנו עמדו דום לפניו. איזו בעיה? אין לנו. English: The great commander in the provinces was Yemenite; Uzi was Sephardic; Gidi, who carried out the historic operation at the King David Hotel, was Sephardic; the one in charge of all the prisoners in Latrun was Yemenite - and all our young men stood still before him.Begin 1981 Brothers he פיינשטיין היה ממוצא אירופאי, איך קוראים לזה, אשכנזי; משה ברזני היה ספרדי מעירק. בלילה לאחר שנידונו למוות, והיו צריכים בבוקר־בבוקר להוריד אותם מן התלייה, והרב היה איש זקן, הוא אמד שיבוא להוריד אותם, ולא רצו לפגוע ברב, הם לקחו ללבותיהם רימון יד, לחצו. אשכנזים? עירקים? יהודים. אחים. לוחמים. English: Feinstein was of European descent, what do you call it, Ashkenazi; Moshe Barzani was a Sephardic from Iraq. The night after they were sentenced to death, and they had to be taken down from the gallows in the morning, and the rabbi was an old man, he estimated that he would come to take them down, and they didn't want to hurt the rabbi, they took a hand grenade to their hearts, pressed. Ashkenazim? Iraqis? Jews. Brothers. Warriors.Begin 1981 References Citations Sources 1981 Begin Menachem Menachem Begin Election speech at Malki Yisrael Square (known as the Tchachachim speech) מאגר כתבי מנחם בגין - מרכז מורשת בגין he: נאום בחירות בכיכר מלכי ישראל (מוכר כנאום הצ'חצ'חים) https://db.begincenter.org.il/article/%D7%A0%D7%90%D7%95%D7%9D-%D7%91%D7%97%D7%99%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%91%D7%9B%D7%99%D7%9B%D7%A8-%D7%9E%D7%9C%D7%9B%D7%99-%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%9C-%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%9B%D7%A8-%D7%9B%D7%A0%D7%90%D7%95/ https://web.archive.org/web/20210918012833/https://db.begincenter.org.il/article/%D7%A0%D7%90%D7%95%D7%9D-%D7%91%D7%97%D7%99%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%91%D7%9B%D7%99%D7%9B%D7%A8-%D7%9E%D7%9C%D7%9B%D7%99-%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%9C-%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%9B%D7%A8-%D7%9B%D7%A0%D7%90%D7%95/ 2021-09-18 המפקד הגדול במחוזות היה תימני; עוזי היה ספרדי; גידי, שעשה את הפעולה ההיסטורית של מלון המלך דויד, היה ספרדי; הממונה על כל האסירים בלטרון היה תימני - וכל הבחורים שלנו עמדו דום לפניו. איזו בעיה? אין לנו. כולנו יהודים. כולנו אחים. כולנו לוחמים … יש ביניהם עולי גרדום, אשר עד הרגע האחרון לחייהם שרו את שיר ״התקווה״ והפליאו עולם ומלואו בגבורתם המופתית. והם הלכו לבתי־הסוהר, למחנות ריכוז, הם נלחמו ולא נשברו, הם זעקו בפני השופטים הבריטים את המילים ״אנחנו לא מכירים בלל בשלטונכם - עליכם להסתלק מכאן, מארץ־ישראל״. פיינשטיין היה ממוצא אירופאי, איך קוראים לזה, אשכנזי; משה ברזני היה ספרדי מעירק. בלילה לאחר שנידונו למוות, והיו צריכים בבוקר־בבוקר להוריד אותם מן התלייה, והרב היה איש זקן, הוא אמד שיבוא להוריד אותם, ולא רצו לפגוע ברב, הם לקחו ללבותיהם רימון יד, לחצו. אשכנזים? עירקים? יהודים. אחים. לוחמים. he-IL External links Historical overview of the Tenth Knesset Knesset Factional and Government Make-Up of the Tenth Knesset Knesset Israeli legislative Legislative election Category:Legislative elections in Israel Israel Israel Category:Menachem Begin Category:Shimon Peres