Left Camp of Israel

The Left Camp of Israel (Hebrew: מחנה שמאל לישראל, Maḥaneh Smol LeYisrael) was a left-wing political party in Israel. It was also known as Sheli (Hebrew: של"י), an acronym for "Peace for Israel" (Hebrew: שלום לישראל, Shalom LeYisrael).

Left Camp of Israel
מחנה שמאל לישראל‎
LeaderUri Avnery
Aryeh Eliav
Founded1970s
Dissolved1980s
Merger ofIndependent Socialist Faction
Meri
Moked
some Black Panthers
IdeologySocialism
Political positionLeft-wing
Most MKs2 (1977–1980)
Fewest MKs1 (1980–1981)
Election symbol
ש‎

Background

The party was formed prior to the 1977 elections by the merger of Meri, Moked, the Independent Socialist Faction and some members of the Black Panthers. It won two seats in the elections, which were held on a rotation basis by five party members; Uri Avnery (previously an MK for Meri), Aryeh Eliav (an MK for the Independent Socialist Faction in the previous Knesset), Meir Pa'il (an ex-Moked MK), Saadia Marciano and Walid Haj Yahia. Other prominent members of Sheli were the former deputy chief of staff of the Israeli army Matti Peled and Ran Cohen, who later served as an MK for Ratz and Meretz and a government minister.

The party, formed by a merger of leftist non-communist groups, was founded by Eliav, who was formerly secretary general of the Labor Party. Sheli called for negotiations with the Palestine Liberation Organization based on mutual recognition and for the establishment of an Arab Palestinian state.[1]

On 11 November 1980, Marciano broke away from the party to form a single-member faction, later renamed Equality in Israel – Panthers. On 19 May 1981 he was joined by former Dash MK, Mordechai Elgrably. The new party was later renamed as the Unity Party.[2]

The party failed to cross the election threshold in the 1981 election and subsequently disappeared, though many former party members joined the Progressive List for Peace and Ratz.

References
  1. David Seddon (2004). A Political and Economic Dictionary of the Middle East. Europa Publications. p. 503. ISBN 9781135355616.
  2. Mergers and Splits Among Parliamentary Groups Knesset website


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