Ahva was a short-lived political party in Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

, one of several spinoffs created by the collapse of Dash

Democratic Movement for Change

The Democratic Movement for Change , commonly known by its Hebrew acronym Dash was a short-lived and initially highly-successful centrist political party in Israel...

.

Background

Ahva was formed on 8 July 1980 when two MKs (Shafik Asaad

Shafik Asaad

Shafik Assad was an Israeli Arab politician who served as a member of the Knesset for the Democratic Movement for Change, the Democratic Movement, Ahva and Telem between 1977 and 1981.-Biography:...

 and Shlomo Eliyahu

Shlomo Eliyahu

Shlomo Eliahu is an Israeli businessman and former politician who served as a member of the Knesset between 1978 and 1981.-Biography:Born in Baghdad in 1936, Eliahu made aliyah to Israel in 1950 with his parents and eight siblings. After initially being based in a ma'abara at Beit Lid, his family...

) broke away from the Democratic Movement

Democratic Movement (Israel)

The Democratic Movement was a short-lived political party in Israel formed in the aftermath of the spectacular breakup of Dash. Founded in 1978, it lasted only until 1981.-Background:...

, itself a relatively new party, having been formed in 1978 when Dash split up (also creating Shinui

Shinui

Shinui is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical free market liberal party and political movement in Israel. The party twice became the third largest in the Knesset, but both occasions were followed by a split and collapse; in 1977 the party won 15 seats as part of the Democratic Movement for...

 and Ya'ad

Ya'ad (political party)

Ya'ad was a short-lived, one-man political party in Israel. It is not related to the other political party of the same name, Ya'ad – Civil Rights Movement.-Background:...

). On 17 September they were joined by Akiva Nof

Akiva Nof

Akiva Nof is a former Israeli politician and song-writer, who served as a member of the Knesset for five parties between 1974 and 1984.-Biography:...

, also from the Democratic Movement.

However, like its two immediate predecessors, Ahva also suffered from instability. Nof defected to Likud

Likud

Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...

 on 28 January 1981, whilst Asaad left the party to join Telem

Telem (political party)

Telem , lit. Movement for National Renewal) was a political party in Israel.-Background:Telem was formed on 19 May 1981 during the ninth Knesset by Moshe Dayan and two ex-Likud MKs. Dayan had been elected to the Knesset as an MK for the Alignment, which had lost the election for the first time in...

 (another newly formed party) on 15 June. By the end of the Knesset session in June 1981, only Eliayhu remained in the party (though it had outlasted the Democratic Movement, which folded in March 1981).

The party did not run in the 1981 elections

Israeli legislative election, 1981

Elections for the tenth Knesset were held in Israel on 30 June 1981. Despite last minute polls suggesting a victory for Shimon Peres's Alignment, Menachem Begin's Likud won by just one seat...

and subsequently disappeared.

External links

• Party history Knesset website