Israeli legislative election, 1959

Elections for the 4th Knesset

3 November 1959

Party Leader % Seats ± Mapai David Ben-Gurion 38.2% 47 +7 Herut Menachem Begin 13.5% 17 +2 National Religious Party Haim-Moshe Shapira 9.9% 12 +1 Mapam Meir Ya'ari 7.2% 9 0 General Zionists Yosef Sapir 6.2% 8 -5 Ahdut HaAvoda Yisrael Galili 6.0% 7 -3 Religious Torah Front Yitzhak-Meir Levin 4.7% 6 0 Progressive Party Pinchas Rosen 4.6% 6 +1 Maki Shmuel Mikunis 2.8% 3 -3 Progress and Development Ahmed A-Dahar 1.3% 2 New Cooperation and Brotherhood Labib Abu Rokan 1.1% 2 New Agriculture and Development Mahmud Al-Nashaf 1.1% 1 0

This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

Prime Minister before Prime Minister after David Ben-Gurion Mapai David Ben-Gurion Mapai

Elections for the fourth Knesset were held in Israel on 3 November 1959. Voter turnout was 81.5%.

Results

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/−
Mapai	370,585	38.2	47	+7
Herut	130,515	13.5	17	+2
National Religious Party	95,581	9.9	12	+1
Mapam	69,468	7.2	9	0
General Zionists ¹	59,700	6.2	8	−5
Ahdut HaAvoda	58,043	6.0	7	−3
Religious Torah Front ²	45,569	4.7	6	0
Progressive Party ¹	44,889	4.6	6	+1
Maki	27,374	2.8	3	−3
Progress and Development	12,347	1.3	2	New
Cooperation and Brotherhood	11,104	1.1	2	New
Agriculture and Development	10,902	1.1	1	0
Union of North African Immigrants	8,199	0.8	0	New
Progress and Work	4,651	0.5	0	−2
Independent Faction for Israeli Arabs	3,818	0.4	0	New
Israeli Arab Labour Party	3,369	0.3	0	New
Sephardi National Party	3,133	0.3	0	New
National Union	2,456	0.2	0	0
Holocaust Handicapped and Injured Faction	1,765	0.2	0	New
Yemenite Faction	1,711	0.2	0	0
Independents	1,611	0.2	0	New
Socialist Union (Bund)	1,322	0.1	0	New
New Immigrants Front	631	0.1	0	0
Third Power	594	0.1	0	New
Invalid/blank votes	24,967	-	-	-
Total	994,306	100	120	0
Source: Nohlen et al.

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 (four seats) and Poalei Agudat Yisrael (two seats).

The Fourth Knesset

See also: List of members of 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