Telem (political party)
Encyclopedia
Telem was a political party in Israel
.
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 its history. Menachem Begin
formed a coalition including his Likud
party, the National Religious Party
, Agudat Israel
and Dash
. However, he also invited Dayan to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs
. Despite being a member of the Alignment, Begin's political rivals, Dayan accepted the post, resulting in his expulsion from his own party.
After sitting as an independent MK for some time, Dayan formed Telem in 1981, together with Yigal Hurvitz
and Zalman Shoval
who had previously broken away from Likud
to form Rafi – National List
. On 15 June 1981 they were later joined by Shafik Assad, who had left Ahva
(Assad had started the Knesset session as a member of Dash, then joined the Democratic Movement
before moving to Ahva).
The party won two seats in the 1981 elections
, taken by Dayan and Mordechai Ben-Porat
, and was invited to join the governing coalition with Ben-Porat becoming Minister Without Portfolio
. When Dayan died on 16 October 1981, he was replaced by Hurvitz. However, the party split up on 6 June 1983 when Ben-Porat created the Movement for the Renewal of Social Zionism
and Hurvitz reformed Rafi – National List
, which he later renamed Ometz.
A new party by the name of Telem was formed by ex-Shas
MK Yosef Azran
in the mid-1990s to fight the 1996 elections
. However, it failed to cross the electoral threshold
and subsequently disappeared.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Background
Telem was formed on 19 May 1981 during the ninth KnessetIsraeli 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...
by Moshe Dayan
Moshe Dayan
Moshe Dayan was an Israeli military leader and politician. The fourth Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces , he became a fighting symbol to the world of the new State of Israel...
and two ex-Likud MKs. Dayan had been elected to 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...
as an 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...
, which had lost the election for the first time in its history. Menachem Begin
Menachem Begin
' was a politician, founder of Likud and the sixth Prime Minister of the State of Israel. Before independence, he was the leader of the Zionist militant group Irgun, the Revisionist breakaway from the larger Jewish paramilitary organization Haganah. He proclaimed a revolt, on 1 February 1944,...
formed a coalition including his 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...
party, 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...
, Agudat Israel
Agudat Israel
Agudat Yisrael began as the original political party representing the ultra-Orthodox population of Israel. It was the umbrella party for almost all ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel, and before that in the British Mandate of Palestine...
and 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...
. However, he also invited Dayan to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel
The Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The position is one of the most important in the Israeli cabinet after Prime Minister and Defense Minister...
. Despite being a member of the Alignment, Begin's political rivals, Dayan accepted the post, resulting in his expulsion from his own party.
After sitting as an independent MK for some time, Dayan formed Telem in 1981, together with Yigal Hurvitz
Yigal Hurvitz
Yigal Hurvitz was an Israeli politician who served as a government minister in the late 1970s and 1980s.-Biography:Hurvitz was born in Nahlat Yehuda in 1918. Between 1938 and 1941 he was a member of the secretariat of HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed, and served in the Jewish Brigade during World War II...
and Zalman Shoval
Zalman Shoval
Zalman Shoval is an Israeli politician and diplomat.He was the Israeli ambassador to the United States in the years 1990-1993 and 1998–2000, and an active member of the Knesset in the Rafi party of Ben Gurion, the Statal List, and the Likud party.-Biography:...
who had previously broken away from 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...
to form Rafi – National List
Ometz (political party)
Ometz , originally Rafi – National List , then the National List was a small right-wing political party in Israel, which existed briefly in 1981, and then from 1983 until 1987...
. On 15 June 1981 they were later joined by Shafik Assad, who had left Ahva
Ahva (political party)
Ahva was a short-lived political party in Israel, one of several spinoffs created by the collapse of Dash.-Background:Ahva was formed on 8 July 1980 when two MKs broke away from the Democratic Movement, itself a relatively new party, having been formed in 1978 when Dash split up...
(Assad had started the Knesset session as a member of Dash, then joined 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:...
before moving to Ahva).
The party won two seats 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...
, taken by Dayan and Mordechai Ben-Porat
Mordechai Ben-Porat
Mordechai Ben-Porat is a former Israeli politician who served as Minister without Portfolio from July 1982 until January 1984. During his four terms in the Knesset, he represented five different parties.-Biography:...
, and was invited to join the governing coalition with Ben-Porat becoming 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...
. When Dayan died on 16 October 1981, he was replaced by Hurvitz. However, the party split up on 6 June 1983 when Ben-Porat created the Movement for the Renewal of Social Zionism
Movement for the Renewal of Social Zionism
The Movement for the Renewal of Social Zionism was a short-lived minor political party in Israel during the mid-1980s.-Background:The party was formed on 6 June 1983 by Minister without Portfolio Mordechai Ben-Porat following the break-up of Telem .However, the party failed to cross the electoral...
and Hurvitz reformed Rafi – National List
Ometz (political party)
Ometz , originally Rafi – National List , then the National List was a small right-wing political party in Israel, which existed briefly in 1981, and then from 1983 until 1987...
, which he later renamed Ometz.
A new party by the name of Telem was formed by ex-Shas
Shas
Shas is an ultra-orthodox religious political party in Israel, primarily representing Sephardic and Mizrahi Haredi Judaism.Shas was founded in 1984 by dissident members of the Ashkenazi dominated Agudat Israel, to represent the interests of religiously observant Sephardic and Mizrahi ...
MK Yosef Azran
Yosef Azran
Yosef Azran was an Israeli rabbi and politician who served as a member of the Knesset between 1988 and 1996, and as Deputy Minister of Finance from 1990 until 1992.-Biography:...
in the mid-1990s to fight 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...
. However, it failed to cross the electoral threshold
Election threshold
In party-list proportional representation systems, an election threshold is a clause that stipulates that a party must receive a minimum percentage of votes, either nationally or within a particular district, to obtain any seats in the parliament...
and subsequently disappeared.
List of Knesset members
| Name | Years in office | Government roles | Other roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shafik Assad | 1981 | ||
| Mordechai Ben-Porat Mordechai Ben-Porat Mordechai Ben-Porat is a former Israeli politician who served as Minister without Portfolio from July 1982 until January 1984. During his four terms in the Knesset, he represented five different parties.-Biography:... |
1981-1983 | 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... |
Party leader 1981-1983 |
| Moshe Dayan Moshe Dayan Moshe Dayan was an Israeli military leader and politician. The fourth Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces , he became a fighting symbol to the world of the new State of Israel... |
1981 | Party leader 1981 | |
| Yigal Hurvitz Yigal Hurvitz Yigal Hurvitz was an Israeli politician who served as a government minister in the late 1970s and 1980s.-Biography:Hurvitz was born in Nahlat Yehuda in 1918. Between 1938 and 1941 he was a member of the secretariat of HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed, and served in the Jewish Brigade during World War II... |
1981-1983 |
External links
- Party history Knesset website