1951 Israeli Election

30 July 1951 · The Mapai decades · 120 seats, 61 for a majority

The second Knesset was highly unstable, with four separate governments, two different Prime Ministers and several defections; Rostam Bastuni, Avraham Berman and Moshe Sneh left Mapam and set up the Left Faction. Bastuni later returned to Mapam whilst Berman and Sneh joined Maki.

Prime Minister before

David Ben-Gurion

Mapai

Prime Minister (continued)

David Ben-Gurion

Mapai

Largest force

Mapai

45 of 120 seats

Turnout

75.2%

The result

Sort by

Mapai

37.3% of votes · -1 seats

seats

General Zionists

16.2% of votes · +13 seats

seats

Mapam

12.5% of votes · -4 seats

seats

Hapoel HaMizrachi

6.7% of votes · +1 seats

seats

Herut

6.6% of votes · -6 seats

seats

Maki

4.0% of votes · +1 seats

seats

Progressive Party

3.2% of votes · -1 seats

seats

Democratic List for Israeli Arabs

2.4% of votes

seats


Mapai	—	45	-1	256,456	37.3%	—
General Zionists	—	20	+13	111,394	16.2%	—
Mapam	—	15	-4	86,095	12.5%	—
Hapoel HaMizrachi	—	8	+1	46,347	6.7%	—
Herut	—	8	-6	45,651	6.6%	—
Maki	—	5	+1	27,334	4.0%	—
Progressive Party	—	4	-1	22,171	3.2%	—
Democratic List for Israeli Arabs	—	3	—	16,370	2.4%	—

12 further seats went to parties and independents outside the main contenders listed above.