Ratz
Encyclopedia
Ratz officially the Movement for Civil Rights and Peace (Hebrew: התנועה לזכויות האזרח ולשלום, HaTnua'a LeZkhuyot HaEzrah VeLaShalom) was a left-wing political party in Israel
from 1973 until its formal merger into Meretz
in 1997.
, a former MK for the Alignment
, 48 hours after she had left the party. As a member of the Israeli peace camp it opposed the occupation of the West Bank
and Gaza strip
and called for a peace settlement with the Palestine Liberation Organization
from its birth. The party advocated secularism, the separation of religion
and state, and civil rights
, most notably women's rights, a topic that was very close to Aloni. It was also a notable fighter against corruption and for a written constitution
, and Aloni was the initiator of the Knesset sub-committee for basic law
s (Israel's equivalent of a constitution). For a while it also supported electoral reform.
In its first test, the 1973 elections
, the party won 2.2% of the vote and three seats in the Knesset
, which were taken by Aloni, new American immigrant Marcia Freedman
, and Boaz Moav
. The party soon gained the popular name Ratz, as it used the letters Resh
-Tzadik
on the election ballot paper. Following Golda Meir
's resignation, the party joined Yitzhak Rabin
's government and Aloni served as a minister without portfolio
. This was one of the few periods in Israel's political history when no religious parties were part of the coalition. The arrangement lasted for a few months only and when the National Religious Party
joined the coalition, Ratz left it.
In 1975 the party merged with Aryeh Eliav
, an independent MK who had broken away from the Alignment, to form a new party, Ya'ad – Civil Rights Movement
. However, it broke up the following year, and Aloni and Moaz reformed Ratz. Freedman did not return, instead forming the Social-Democratic Faction
(later renamed the Independent Socialist Faction) with Eliav, and then breaking away again to form the Women's Party
prior to the 1977 elections
. Also prior to the 1977 elections, the Independent Socialist Faction merged with several other small left-wing parties (Moked
, Meri
and the Black Panthers
) to form the Left Camp of Israel
.
Ratz performed poorly in the '77 elections, winning only one seat, which Aloni took. The 1981 elections
were a repeat, with only Aloni representing the party in the Knesset. During the Knesset session she merged the party into the Alignment, but then broke away again before the term ended.
Before the 1984 elections
the Left Camp of Israel
merged into Ratz in a one-to-three ratio, bringing with them Ran Cohen
amongst others. The elections were an improvement on the previous two, and saw the party win three seats. During the Knesset session, the party gained another two seats when Yossi Sarid
and Mordechai Virshubski
joined the party, defecting from the Alignment and Shinui
respectively. The party retained its five-seat strength in the 1988 elections
.
Prior to the 1992 elections
, the party formed an alliance with Mapam
and Shinui
named Meretz
, whilst keeping their independent status within the union. The new party was a success, winning 12 seats, two more than the parties had held in the previous Knesset. Prior to the 1996 elections
Aloni finally lost the leadership of the party, defeated by Sarid in internal elections. She retired from politics immediately. In 1997 the merger was made official (though several Shinui members led by Avraham Poraz
broke away to reform as an independent party, whilst David Zucker
became an independent MK), and Ratz ceased to exist.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
from 1973 until its formal merger into Meretz
Meretz-Yachad
New Movement-Meretz , previously known as Meretz, then Yachad, and then Meretz-Yachad is a left-wing, Zionist, social democratic political party in Israel....
in 1997.
Background
The Movement for Civil Rights and Peace was formed in 1973 by Shulamit AloniShulamit Aloni
Shulamit Aloni is an Israeli politician and left-wing activist. She is a prominent member of the Israeli peace camp, founded the Ratz party and was leader of the Meretz party and served as Minister of Education from 1992 to 1993.-Biography:...
, a former MK for the Alignment
Alignment (political party)
The Alignment was an alliance of the major left-wing parties in Israel between the 1960s and 1990s. It was established in 1965 as an alliance of Mapai and Ahdut HaAvoda but was dissolved three years later when the two parties and Rafi formally merged into the Israeli Labor Party...
, 48 hours after she had left the party. As a member of the Israeli peace camp it opposed the occupation of the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
and Gaza strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
and called for a peace settlement with the Palestine Liberation Organization
Palestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization is a political and paramilitary organization which was created in 1964. It is recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" by the United Nations and over 100 states with which it holds diplomatic relations, and has enjoyed...
from its birth. The party advocated secularism, the separation of religion
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
and state, and civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
, most notably women's rights, a topic that was very close to Aloni. It was also a notable fighter against corruption and for a written constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
, and Aloni was the initiator of the Knesset sub-committee for basic law
Basic Laws of Israel
The Basic Laws of Israel are a key component of Israel's constitutional law. These laws deal with the formation and role of the principal state's institutions, and the relations between the state's authorities. Some of them also protect civil rights...
s (Israel's equivalent of a constitution). For a while it also supported electoral reform.
In its first test, the 1973 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1973
The Elections for the eighth Knesset were held on 31 December 1973. Voter turnout was 78.6%.-Results:1 Aryeh Eliav left the Alignment and merged with Ratz to form Ya'ad - Civil Rights Movement...
, the party won 2.2% of the vote and three seats in the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
, which were taken by Aloni, new American immigrant Marcia Freedman
Marcia Freedman
Marcia Freedman is an American-Israeli activist on behalf of peace, women's rights, and gay rights. In the early 1970s she helped create and lead the feminist movement in Israel...
, and Boaz Moav
Boaz Moav
-Biography:Born in Tel Aviv during the Mandate era, Moav was a member of HaNoar HaOved youth movement. He attended Tel Aviv University and the University of Pennsylvania, where he was awarded a PhD in microbiology...
. The party soon gained the popular name Ratz, as it used the letters Resh
Resh
Resh is the twentieth letter of many Semitic alphabets, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic alphabet . Its sound value is one of a number of rhotic consonants: usually or , but also or in Hebrew....
-Tzadik
Tsade
' is the eighteenth letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew ' and Arabic ' . Its oldest sound value is probably , although there is a variety of pronunciation in different modern Semitic languages and their dialects...
on the election ballot paper. Following Golda Meir
Golda Meir
Golda Meir ; May 3, 1898 – December 8, 1978) was a teacher, kibbutznik and politician who became the fourth Prime Minister of the State of Israel....
's resignation, the party joined Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin
' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995....
's government and Aloni served as a minister without portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
. This was one of the few periods in Israel's political history when no religious parties were part of the coalition. The arrangement lasted for a few months only and when the National Religious Party
National Religious Party
The National Religious Party ) was a political party in Israel representing the religious Zionist movement. Formed in 1956, at the time of its dissolution in 2008, it was the second oldest surviving party in the country after Agudat Yisrael, and was part of every government coalition until 1992...
joined the coalition, Ratz left it.
In 1975 the party merged with Aryeh Eliav
Aryeh Eliav
Arie "Lova" Eliav, born Lev Lipschitz , , was an Israeli politician and former member of the Knesset.-Biography:...
, an independent MK who had broken away from the Alignment, to form a new party, Ya'ad – Civil Rights Movement
Ya'ad – Civil Rights Movement
Ya'ad – Civil Rights Movement , commonly known as just Ya'ad, was a short-lived political party in Israel. It is not related to the other party by the name of Ya'ad which existed during the ninth Knesset.-Background:...
. However, it broke up the following year, and Aloni and Moaz reformed Ratz. Freedman did not return, instead forming the Social-Democratic Faction
Independent Socialist Faction
The Independent Socialist Faction was a political party in Israel in the 1970s.-Background:The party was established on 27 January 1976, during the eighth Knesset, as the Social-Democratic Faction, when Aryeh Eliav and Marcia Freedman left Ya'ad – Civil Rights Movement. Prior to its creation,...
(later renamed the Independent Socialist Faction) with Eliav, and then breaking away again to form the Women's Party
Women's Party (Israel)
The Women's Party was a minor political party in Israel.-Background:The party was established prior to the 1977 elections, with the founders including Israeli-American Marcia Freedman. Freedman had been an MK for Ratz in the eighth Knesset, but had broken away with Aryeh Eliav to form the...
prior to the 1977 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1977
The Elections for the ninth Knesset were held on 17 May 1977. For the first time in Israeli political history, the right-wing, led by Likud, won the election, ending almost 30 years of rule by the left-wing Alignment and its predecessor, Mapai...
. Also prior to the 1977 elections, the Independent Socialist Faction merged with several other small left-wing parties (Moked
Moked
Moked was a left-wing political party in Israel.-Background:Moked came into existence during the seventh Knesset, when Maki merged with the Blue-Red Movement, which was unrepresented....
, Meri
Meri (political party)
Meri , lit. Israeli Radical Camp) was a small radical left-wing political party in Israel. It was founded in the 1960s as HaOlam HaZeh – Koah Hadash by Uri Avnery, editor of HaOlam HaZeh.-History:...
and the Black Panthers
Israeli Black Panthers
The Black Panthers were an Israeli protest movement of second-generation Jewish immigrants from Middle Eastern countries. They were one of the first organizations in Israel with the mission of working for social justice for the Mizrahi Jews...
) to form the Left Camp of Israel
Left Camp of Israel
The Left Camp of Israel was a left-wing political party in Israel. It was also known as Sheli , an acronym for Peace for Israel .-Background:...
.
Ratz performed poorly in the '77 elections, winning only one seat, which Aloni took. 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...
were a repeat, with only Aloni representing the party in the Knesset. During the Knesset session she merged the party into the Alignment, but then broke away again before the term ended.
Before the 1984 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1984
Elections for the eleventh Knesset were held in Israel on 23 July 1984. Voter turnout was 78.8%. The results saw the Alignment return to being the largest party in the Knesset, a status it had lost in 1977...
the Left Camp of Israel
Left Camp of Israel
The Left Camp of Israel was a left-wing political party in Israel. It was also known as Sheli , an acronym for Peace for Israel .-Background:...
merged into Ratz in a one-to-three ratio, bringing with them Ran Cohen
Ran Cohen
Ran Cohen is an Israeli politician and former Knesset member for Meretz-Yachad. He is a resident of Mevaseret Zion and married with four children....
amongst others. The elections were an improvement on the previous two, and saw the party win three seats. During the Knesset session, the party gained another two seats when Yossi Sarid
Yossi Sarid
Yossi Sarid is a left-wing Israeli news commentator and former politician. He served as a member of the Knesset for the Alignment, Ratz and Meretz between 1974 and 2006...
and Mordechai Virshubski
Mordechai Virshubski
Mordechai Virshubski is an Israeli former politician who served as a member of the Knesset for several parties between 1977 and 1992.-Biography:...
joined the party, defecting from the Alignment and 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...
respectively. The party retained its five-seat strength in the 1988 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1988
Elections for the twelfth Knesset were held in Israel on 1 November 1988. Voter turnout was 79.7%.-Results:1 Five members of the Likud left to form the Party for the Advancement of the Zionist Idea; after two returned, the party was renamed the New Liberal Party...
.
Prior to the 1992 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1992
Elections for the thirteenth Knesset were held in Israel on 23 June 1992. The result was a victory for the left, led by Yitzhak Rabin's Labor Party, though their win was at least partially due to several small right-wing parties narrowly failing to cross the electoral threshold and thus effectively...
, the party formed an alliance with Mapam
Mapam
Mapam was a political party in Israel and is one of the ancestors of the modern-day Meretz party.-History:Mapam was formed by a January 1948 merger of the Hashomer Hatzair Workers Party and Ahdut HaAvoda Poale Zion Movement. The party was originally Marxist-Zionist in its outlook and represented...
and 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...
named Meretz
Meretz-Yachad
New Movement-Meretz , previously known as Meretz, then Yachad, and then Meretz-Yachad is a left-wing, Zionist, social democratic political party in Israel....
, whilst keeping their independent status within the union. The new party was a success, winning 12 seats, two more than the parties had held in the previous Knesset. Prior to the 1996 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1996
Elections for the fourteenth Knesset were held in Israel on 29 May 1996. Voter turnout was 79.3%.The 1996 elections included two new changes, both designed to increase the stability of the Knesset. First, the Prime Minister was to be elected on a separate ballot from the remaining members of the...
Aloni finally lost the leadership of the party, defeated by Sarid in internal elections. She retired from politics immediately. In 1997 the merger was made official (though several Shinui members led by Avraham Poraz
Avraham Poraz
Avraham Poraz is an Israeli lawyer and former politician.- Biography :Poraz was born in Bucharest, Romania in 1945 and immigrated to Israel in 1950...
broke away to reform as an independent party, whilst David Zucker
David Zucker (politician)
David "Dedi" Zucker is an Israeli peace activist and former politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Ratz, Meretz and as an independent between 1986 and 1999.-Biography:...
became an independent MK), and Ratz ceased to exist.
Knesset Members
| Knesset (MKs) |
Knesset Members |
|---|---|
| 8th Israeli legislative election, 1973 The Elections for the eighth Knesset were held on 31 December 1973. Voter turnout was 78.6%.-Results:1 Aryeh Eliav left the Alignment and merged with Ratz to form Ya'ad - Civil Rights Movement... (3 –1) |
Shulamit Aloni Shulamit Aloni Shulamit Aloni is an Israeli politician and left-wing activist. She is a prominent member of the Israeli peace camp, founded the Ratz party and was leader of the Meretz party and served as Minister of Education from 1992 to 1993.-Biography:... , Boaz Moav Boaz Moav -Biography:Born in Tel Aviv during the Mandate era, Moav was a member of HaNoar HaOved youth movement. He attended Tel Aviv University and the University of Pennsylvania, where he was awarded a PhD in microbiology... – Marcia Freedman Marcia Freedman Marcia Freedman is an American-Israeli activist on behalf of peace, women's rights, and gay rights. In the early 1970s she helped create and lead the feminist movement in Israel... (to the Social-Democratic Faction Independent Socialist Faction The Independent Socialist Faction was a political party in Israel in the 1970s.-Background:The party was established on 27 January 1976, during the eighth Knesset, as the Social-Democratic Faction, when Aryeh Eliav and Marcia Freedman left Ya'ad – Civil Rights Movement. Prior to its creation,... ) |
| 9th Israeli legislative election, 1977 The Elections for the ninth Knesset were held on 17 May 1977. For the first time in Israeli political history, the right-wing, led by Likud, won the election, ending almost 30 years of rule by the left-wing Alignment and its predecessor, Mapai... (1) |
Shulamit Aloni |
| 10th 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... (1) |
Shulamit Aloni |
| 11th Israeli legislative election, 1984 Elections for the eleventh Knesset were held in Israel on 23 July 1984. Voter turnout was 78.8%. The results saw the Alignment return to being the largest party in the Knesset, a status it had lost in 1977... (3 +2) |
Shulamit Aloni, Mordechai Bar-On Mordechai Bar-On Mordechai Bar-On is an Israeli historian and former IDF Chief Education Officer and politician.-Biography:Born in Tel Aviv during the Mandate era, Bar-On was a member of the IDF's first officer training course in 1948. He became a platoon commander and company commander in the Givati Brigade, and... (replaced by David Zucker David Zucker (politician) David "Dedi" Zucker is an Israeli peace activist and former politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Ratz, Meretz and as an independent between 1986 and 1999.-Biography:... ), Ran Cohen Ran Cohen Ran Cohen is an Israeli politician and former Knesset member for Meretz-Yachad. He is a resident of Mevaseret Zion and married with four children.... + Yossi Sarid Yossi Sarid Yossi Sarid is a left-wing Israeli news commentator and former politician. He served as a member of the Knesset for the Alignment, Ratz and Meretz between 1974 and 2006... (from the Alignment Alignment (political party) The Alignment was an alliance of the major left-wing parties in Israel between the 1960s and 1990s. It was established in 1965 as an alliance of Mapai and Ahdut HaAvoda but was dissolved three years later when the two parties and Rafi formally merged into the Israeli Labor Party... ) + Mordechai Virshubski Mordechai Virshubski Mordechai Virshubski is an Israeli former politician who served as a member of the Knesset for several parties between 1977 and 1992.-Biography:... (from 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... ) |
| 12th Israeli legislative election, 1988 Elections for the twelfth Knesset were held in Israel on 1 November 1988. Voter turnout was 79.7%.-Results:1 Five members of the Likud left to form the Party for the Advancement of the Zionist Idea; after two returned, the party was renamed the New Liberal Party... (5) |
Shulamit Aloni, Ran Cohen, Yossi Sarid, Mordechai Virshubski, David Zucker |
External links
- Party history Knesset website