Mapam
A socialist-Zionist party, Mapam (United Workers' Party) was the second largest political
party in the early years of the State. Mapam joined the labor alignment
from 1969-1984, ran independently in 1988. In 1992, Mapam formed a common
list with the Ratz and Shinui parties, which they called “Meretz.”
The common denominator among the three was their advocacy of an agreement
with the Palestinians on the basis of a territorial compromise, and
the establishment of a Palestinian state, civil and human rights, and
the separation of religion and state. Meretz joined the governing coalition
with Labor under Yitzhak
Rabin.
In 1997, Mapam ceased to exist officially as it merged
with Ratz and a part of Shinui to recreate Meretz as a unified political
party. Meretz was headed by Shulamit
Aloni (1991-99) and Yossi
Sarid (1999-2003). Meretz ran in the elections for the Sixteenth
Knesset in a single list with the Democratic Choice and Shahar, and
in the course of the Sixteenth Knesset changed its name to “Yahad
and the Democratic Choice.”
Sources: The
Knesset |