Liberalism has played a role in the political
history of Israel since Israel's founding.
Several liberal political parties have claimed
substantial popular support, mainly proved
by having representation in the Knesset.
While liberalism is usually suspicious of
nationalism, Jewish liberals in Israel generally
support some form of Zionism.
A long-time liberal, anti-clerical and pro-free
market party was Shinui, a member of the Liberal
International.
Prior to that, conservative liberals (see
General Zionists and Liberal Party), were
founding members of the Likud, the country's
main conservative party, since the late 1970s,
while social liberals (see Progressive Party
and Independent Liberals) were integrated
in the social-democratic Labor Party in 1991.
Current liberal (and liberal Zionist) parties
are Yesh Atid, Kulanu and Hatnuah.
By contrast, Balad draws upon liberal values
in its aim to eliminate discrimination against
Arab citizens and redefine Israel as a state
for all its citizens rather than a "Jewish
and democratic state", but it is a secular
party rather than a liberal one.
== Timeline ==
=== 
From General Zionists to Liberal Party ===
1922: Centrists in the World Zionist Organization
form the General Zionists.
1931: The General Zionists split in "Faction
A" and "Faction B".
1945: Factions A and B of the General Zionists
merge.
1951: The party wins 16.2% of the vote and
20 seats in the general election.
1961: The party merges with the Progressive
Party to become the Liberal Party (LP), which
wins 13.6% of the vote and 17 seats in the
general election.
1965: The LP splits with the conservative
majority joining Herut to form Gahal (eventually
becoming Likud) and the leftist faction forming
the Independent Liberals.
1988: The LP and Herut formally merge transforming
Likud from an electoral coalition to a unitary
political party.
=== From Progressive Party to Independent
Liberals ===
1949: The Progressive Party (PP) is formed.
1961: The PP merges with the General Zionists
to become the Liberal Party (LP).
1965: The Independent Liberals are founded
by splinters from the LP
1984: The party joins the Alignment electoral
list.
1991: The party is formally merged into the
Labor Party.
=== Shinui, Democratic Movement, Shinui, Hetz
===
1973: Amnon Rubinstein forms Shinui.
1976: Shinui merges with other minor liberal
parties to become the Democratic Movement
for Change (Dash).
1977: Dash wins 11.6% of the vote and 15 seats
in the general election.
1978: Dash splits into the Democratic Movement
and the Movement for Change and Initiative.
1981: The Movement for Change and Initiative
renames itself Shinui.
1988: Shinui is renamed Shinui–Center Party.
1992: The party merges with Mapam and Ratz
to form Meretz, a social-democratic party.
1998: Avraham Poraz leads a split from Meretz
and recreates Shinui as an independent party.
1999: Yosef Lapid is invited by Poraz to head
Shinui.
2003: The party wins 12.3% of the vote and
15 seats in the general election.
2006: Lapid leaves Shinui and Poraz forms
Hetz.
2006: Both Shinui and Hetz fail to win any
seats in the general election.
=== Kadima and the unilateral disengagement
plan ===
2005: Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister and leader
of the Likud, leaves the party and forms Kadima
largely to support the unilateral disengagement
plan from the Gaza Strip and is soon joined
by like-minded politicians from the Israeli
Labor Party, notably including Shimon Peres,
and other parties.
2006: Sharon suffers a massive stroke, but
the party, led by Ehud Olmert, wins the general
election with 22.0% of the vote and 29 seats.
Olmert is Prime Minister.
2009: The party, led by Tzipi Livni, comes
first the general election with 22.5% of the
vote and 28 seats, but Livni fails to form
a government.
2013: The party, which has suffered the split
of Hatnuah, is reduced to 2.1% of the vote
and 2 seats in the general election.
2015: The party, whose latest leader has joined
the brand-new Kulanu, opts to sit out of the
general election.
=== Current parties: Yesh Atid, Kulanu and
Hatnuah ===
2012: Yosef Lapid's son, Yair Lapid, launches
Yesh Atid.
Poraz allows Tzipi Livni to use the Hetz's
infrastructure to base her new party, Hatnuah.
2013: In the general election Yesh Atid wins
14.3% and 19 seats, while Hatnuah 5.0% and
6 seats.
2014: Moshe Kahlon launches Kulanu, while
Hatnuah joins the Zionist Union list, along
with the Israeli Labor Party.
2015: In the general election Yesh Atid is
reduced to 8.8% of the vote and 11 seats,
while Kulanu debouts with 7.5% and 10 seats.
== See also ==
History of Israel
Politics of Israel
List of political parties in Israel
