Israeli Labor Party: Difference between revisions

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The Israeli Labour Party ('HaAvoda') is an Israeli political party. It holds moderate left agenda and is a Zionist party. It is a member of the Socialist International and an observer member of the Party of European Socialists.

Also Known As

Those are the name which the Israeli Labour party has used

Zion workers פועלי ציון ("Zion's Workers", "Poalei Zion").
Mapa"y - מפא"י : "The Party of the Workers of the Land of Israel". (1930-1970)
HaMaarach - המערך: "The Array" (of Mapay and Mapam parties).
HaAvoda (Avoda) - העבודה, lit "Labour".
One Israel ישראל אחת - with Gesher and Meimad (1999-2001).

The current name is "HaAvoda."

                                          File:Http://www.havoda.org.il/images/avodaLogo.gif

History

Mapai (Mifleget Poalei Eretz Israel — Land of Israel Worker’s Party) was founded in the 1930s as the right wing (or more moderate) faction of the Zionist socialist Russian Party Poale Zion. In the early 1920s the Labour Zionist movement founded the Histadrut (General Hebrew Workers' Union) which dominated the Hebrew settlement economy and infrastructure, later making Mapai the dominant political faction in the Zionist politics. It is also responsible for the founding of Hashomer and Haganah, the first two armed Jewish group who secured the people and property of the Hebrew settlements against bandits and terrorists.

By the early 1930s, the workers' leader David Ben-Gurion rose to power and led Mapai for almost two decades before he retired to Sde Boker in order to flourish the Negev desert. Under Ben-Gurion's leadership Mapai became the leading party in the Hebrew parliament and Ben-Gurion led the Hebrew settlement in its struggle for independence. Ben-Gurion declared on Israel's independence and was elected to be its first prime minister.

In 1971, Mapai merged with other Labour Zionist parties to form the Labour Alignment which became the modern Israeli Labour Party

Until 1977, all the prime ministers were from the Mapai/ILP. The greatest opposition to the ILP was Menachem Begin's Herut (today Likud) - the right wing liberal party. In 1977, following Yitzhak Rabin resignation from office, the ILP lost the elections to Begin.

During the 1980's it formed a unity government with the Likud, which broke up in 1988 following a failing political scam of Peres and Shas leader Arie Deri.

In 1992, the ILP won the election and Yitzhak Rabin was elected as prime minister. During his term, he signed a peace treaty with Jordan and ran the Oslo process. The rise of terror following The Oslo process has eventually led to Rabin's assassination by an right-wing extremist Yigal Amir. Shimon Peres replaced Rabin until 1996, when he lost the elections to Likud's Benjamin Netanyahu following a wave of suicide bombings by Palestinian terror group Hamas.

On 1999, Ehud Barak beat Shimon Peres and became the leader of the party and its canidate from the prime minister office. The election were with two votes - one for the Knesset and one for prime-minister. Ehud Barak created "One Israel" (ישראל אחת) - a joint list of the Labour, David Levy's Gesher and the religious Zionist Meimad. Barak's campaign was focusing on social and economical issues, and his reputation as "not-politician" and "not-passing-screen" helped him to overcome and replace in office the slick and charismatic Likud's canidate Benjamin Nethanyahu.

However, Ehud Barak tenure was short. He started by forming a 75-members coalition of Israel-One (26), Shas (17), Meretz (10), Israel-BaAlyia (5), Mafdal (5) and United Torah Judaism (5). The coalition with religious right wing parties such as Mafdal, Shas and United Torah Judaism caused tensions with leftist and secularist Meretz. Meretz was the first to quit coalition after a fight with Shas over the authorities to deputy education minister. The rest of the parties left it before the Camp David 2000 summit in the summer. Following October 2000 riots and the violence of the al-Aqsa Intifada, Barak resigned from office and was replaced by Ariel Sharon in 2001 (the elections were only for prime-minister).

Ariel Sharon formed a unity government with Likud, Labour, Shas, Israel-BaAlyia and United Torah Judaism. The Labour got two important cabinet portfolios: Shimon Peres was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Benjanin Ben-Eliezer was appointed as Minister of Defence. The Labour supported Operation Defensive Shield, which was conducted in April 2002 against Palestinian terrorists in the West Bank. The Labour quit the government in 2003, after harsh criticism on Peres and Ben-Elizer, that they are using as "yesmen" for Sharon, and not promoting the peace process.

On 2003, general election were held. While Likud won 40 mandates, the Labour - headed by Amram Maztna, won only 19 mandates. It was considered as a hugh blow to the "Old Lady" of the Israeli politics.

Other prominent former members include

Ideology

Past

Mapai evolved from the Socialist "Workers of Zion" party and adhered to the Zionist Socialist ideology promulgated by Nahum Syrkin and Ber Borochov. During Ben-Gurion's leadership (1930's-1950's) Mapai focused mainly on the Zionist agenda, since it was the most urgent issue then - establishing a national homeland for Jews.

After the foundation of the state of Israel, Mapai engaged in nation building - the erection of the Israeli Defence Forces (while dismantling every other armed group), the establishment of many settlements, the settling of more than 1,000,000 Jewish immigrants and the desire to unite all the inhabitants of Israel under a new Zionist Jewish Israeli culture (an ideology known as the "Melting pot" כור היתוך).

Labour in the past was even more hawkish on security and defence issues than it is today. During its years in office, Israel has fought the 1956 Sinai War, the 1967 Six Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

Current

The ILP has become a centrist party. It is no longer socialist or social democratic (though it retains membership in the Socialist International) but has a social-liberal platform, similar to third-way British Labour. However, economic policies in Israel are seldom hotly debated even within the major parties, and thus actual policies depend much more on initiative by the civil service than on political ideologies. Therefore, Labour's recent terms in office did not differ significantly in terms of economic policy from those of its rival.

On the question of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Labour party has two competing attitudes. The dovish branch in the ILP (Amram Mitzna, Avraham Burg, Yuli Tamir) supports peace negotiations with the Palestinians and dismantling most of the Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Some of them spill harsh critics on Israel's military tactics used against Palestinians - mainly the "targeted killing" of terror leaders. In 2003, the ILP experienced a small split when former members Yossi Beilin and Yael Dayan joined Yachad to form a new left wing party.

Hawkish or 'pragmatic' ILP members, such as Shimon Peres, Offir Pines, Haim Ramon and Benjamin Ben-Eliezer support negotiations with the Palestinians conditional on ending terrorism and replacing the current Palestinian leadership with one committed to non-violence. Some ILP members (mainly Haim Ramon) support the erection of the Israeli West Bank barrier for preventing terrorists from entering Israel, as well as a unilateral withdrawal from areas in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The pragmatic faction - headed by Peres and Ramon - are also supporting Israel's military war against Palestinian terror groups. Unlike Mitna and Burg, Peres and Ramon justified Israel's policy of targeting terror leader such as Ahmed Yassin and Abdel Aziz Rantissi. They are also willing to join a unity government with Likud on condition that the government will promote the peace process and the dismantling of settlements.

Current Status

It is currently led by Shimon Peres, and has 19 seats in the 16th Knesset. Recently, the party agreed on a merger with Amir Peretz's Am Ehad workers' party. Am Ehad party has only 3 seats, but Peretz is the head of the Histadrut - the most powerful Workers' Union in Israel, which was founded by Mapai. Peretz has the ability to declare a general strike and therefore he can't be ignored - even though he has small electoral power.

The party used to dominate Israeli politics, but is now in opposition, alternating with Likud as a coalition leader.

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 == History ==
-[[Mapai]] (''Mifleget Poalei Eretz Israel'' — Land of Israel Worker’s Party) was founded in the 1930s as the right wing (or more moderate) faction of the [[Zionism|Zionist]] [[socialist]] Russian Party [[Poale Zion]]. In the early [[1920]]s the [[Labor Zionism|Labour Zionist]] movement founded the [[Histadrut]] (General Hebrew [[Workers' Union]]) which dominated the Hebrew settlement economy and infrastructure, later making Mapai the dominant political faction in the Zionist politics. It is also responsible for the founding of [[Hashomer]] and [[Haganah]], the first two armed Jewish group who secured the people and property of the Hebrew settlements against bandits and terrorists.
+[[Mapai]] (''Mifleget Poalei Eretz Israel'' &#8212; Land of Israel Worker&#8217;s Party) was founded in the 1930s as the right wing (or more moderate) faction of the [[Zionism|Zionist]] [[socialist]] Russian Party [[Poale Zion]]. In the early [[1920]]s the [[Labor Zionism|Labour Zionist]] movement founded the [[Histadrut]] (General Hebrew [[Workers' Union]]) which dominated the Hebrew settlement economy and infrastructure, later making Mapai the dominant political faction in the Zionist politics. It is also responsible for the founding of [[Hashomer]] and [[Haganah]], the first two armed Jewish group who secured the people and property of the Hebrew settlements against bandits and terrorists.
 By the early [[1930]]s, the workers' leader [[David Ben-Gurion]] rose to power and led Mapai for almost two decades before he retired to [[Sde Boker]] in order to flourish the [[Negev]] desert. Under Ben-Gurion's leadership Mapai became the leading party in the Hebrew parliament and Ben-Gurion led the Hebrew settlement in its struggle for independence. Ben-Gurion declared on Israel's independence and was elected to be its first [[Prime Minister|prime minister]].
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 [[Category:Israeli political parties]]
 [[Category:Social Democratic parties]]
+[[ja:&#21172;&#20685;&#20826; (&#12452;&#12473;&#12521;&#12456;&#12523;)]]