Labor Unity
(Achdut Ha’Avoda)
Labor Unity
Founded in 1954
Achdut Ha'Avoda (full name: Achdut Ha'Avoda–Poalei Zion, "Labor Unity") was founded in 1954. The successor of a party with an identical name that was founded in 1948 and immediately merged with Mapam. It later became an independent party following a split in the ranks of Mapam that took place in the summer of 1954, prior to the elections for the Third Knesset.
Achdut Ha'Avoda defined itself as a socialist, revolutionary, and pioneering Zionist workers party, which strived to implement the values of socialism. The party also espoused the ideal of achieving peace without making any territorial concessions and supported the continuation of settlement, particularly by kibbutzim. Achdut Ha'Avoda took an activist line regarding security matters, in contrast to the moderate line that was taken by Mapai.
In 1965, Achdut Ha’Avoda joined up with Mapai and ran for the Knesset as part of the Alignment. Three years later, the party was one of the three founding parties of the Labor Party.
| Election Year | Votes Count | Number Of Seats | Share Of Votes | List Of Candidates | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 66,170 | 8 | 6.6 |
Candidates
|
Platform
|
| 1959 | 58,043 | 7 | 6.0 |
Candidates
|
Platform
|
| 1955 | 69,475 | 10 | 8.2 |
Candidates
|
Platform
|
Note that the candidates and platforms in this table are in Hebrew
Yitzchak Tabenkin, Yisrael Galili, Yigal Allon, Yitzchak Ben Aharon
Achdut Ha'Avoda joined the coalition formed by Mapai after the elections for the Third Knesset (1956) and was represented in the government by Moshe Carmel, who headed the Ministry of Transportation, and by Yisrael Bar Shalom, who headed the Ministry of the Interior. After the elections for the Fourth Knesset (1959), the party's representation in the cabinet was reduced to one minister – Yitzchak Ben Aharon, who served as the Minister of Transportation. Achdut Ha'Avoda remained in the government of the Fifth Knesset as well, when it was given an additional ministry beyond the Ministry of Transportation: the Labor portfolio, with Yigal Alon serving as Minister of Labor.