This is a campaign leaflet issued by the Likud party of Israel during the 1977 elections, an important turning point in the nation’s political history.
On one side is a map of Israel with all of the West Bank colored an ominous grey.
The caption in bold red text reads “An Arafat State Will Not Be Created!”
On the verso is the same map with bright red crescents showing that the range of weapons based in the West Bank extended to most major Israeli cities.
The caption at the top reads “The Likud Will Prevent It!”, and below the title, “2,500,000 of Israel’s residents could be within range of enemy artillery if an Arafat state is established.”
Likud achieved a landslide victory, the first time that a conservative or center-right party had ever gained power in Israel.
Likud (from HaLikud, The Consolidation), was founded by Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon, joining with several right-wing parties, in 1973.
The party’s logo is at the lower left of each map, with characters in black above it expressing the election year theme, “One Power” or “One Force.”
The initials of the party’s official ballot name (National Freedom Party) are at the lower right.
The Likud party is a major political force in Israel, identified primarily with right-wing politics, nationalism, and conservative policies.
Its history, particularly the dramatic 1977 electoral victory, marked a significant turning point in Israeli politics.
Here’s a detailed historical overview, with a focus on the pivotal 1977 election:
Origins and Ideological Background:
- Founded in 1973, Likud emerged as a political alliance formed primarily from parties like Herut (founded by Menachem Begin, rooted in Ze’ev Jabotinsky’s Revisionist Zionism), the Liberal Party, and smaller right-wing factions.
- Likud inherited Revisionist Zionism’s emphasis on Jewish sovereignty over all historic Land of Israel (including the West Bank), market-oriented economic policies, a tough security stance, and skepticism about land-for-peace negotiations.
Political Context Leading to the 1977 Election:
- Before 1977, Israel was dominated politically by Labor Party (initially Mapai), whose left-wing ideology and socialist policies shaped the early state.
- Menachem Begin, who had long served as an opposition leader, became the charismatic figurehead leading Likud’s challenge against Labor’s hegemony.
The Earthquake Election: 1977
- The May 1977 election, famously called “the upheaval” (HaMahapakh), was a landmark event—Likud under Menachem Begin won a historic victory, marking the first time since Israel’s establishment in 1948 that the Labor Party lost power.
- Likud won 43 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, forming a coalition government. Labor, under Shimon Peres, gained only 32 seats, an unprecedented defeat.
- This election symbolized a seismic shift in Israel’s electorate—reflecting public dissatisfaction with Labor’s handling of economic issues (inflation, corruption scandals), and perceived failures during and after the Yom Kippur War of 1973.
Causes of Likud’s Victory:
- Social and Ethnic Shifts: Likud successfully attracted the support of Mizrahi Jews (immigrants from Middle Eastern and North African countries) who felt marginalized under Labor’s Ashkenazi-dominated establishment.
- Security Concerns: Ongoing security anxieties and frustration with perceived Labor weakness following the traumatic Yom Kippur War boosted Begin’s harder stance.
- Economic Frustration: Growing economic hardships, inflation, and scandals under Labor leadership led to disillusionment among traditional Labor voters.
Impact and Policy Shifts:
- Begin’s tenure marked significant policy changes:
- Peace Process: Surprisingly, Begin initiated peace talks with Egypt, culminating in the historic 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty (Camp David Accords), underlining Likud’s capacity for pragmatism in foreign policy despite ideological hardlines.
- Settlement Expansion: Begin accelerated Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, cementing Likud’s long-term legacy and stance on settlements.
- Economic Liberalization: Economic reforms aimed at reducing the dominance of the socialist economy, emphasizing privatization and free-market policies.
Legacy and Significance:
- Likud’s 1977 electoral triumph restructured Israeli politics, solidifying a lasting right-left rivalry with Labor and reshaping Israel’s social and political landscape.
- Menachem Begin, previously considered a political outsider, became one of Israel’s most influential leaders, dramatically shifting Israeli policy both domestically and internationally.
Likud’s Evolution Post-1977:
- After Begin’s resignation in 1983 and subsequent successors like Yitzhak Shamir, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ariel Sharon, and others, Likud remained a dominant force, maintaining its conservative, nationalist orientation.
- Likud’s continued significance is demonstrated by Benjamin Netanyahu’s multiple premierships, reflecting lasting impacts of the 1977 turning point.
Conclusion:
The Likud Party’s 1977 victory, often labeled Israel’s “political revolution,” profoundly changed the nation’s political trajectory, marking the rise of conservative-nationalist politics, shifting Israeli policies, and redefining the landscape of Israeli political competition for decades to come.
What is the meaning of the term an “Arafat state”?
The phrase “an Arafat state” refers to a hypothetical Palestinian state as envisioned or led by Yasser Arafat, who was the chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from 1969 until his death in 2004, and later the first President of the Palestinian Authority (PA).
However, this phrase is often used critically, especially by Israeli leaders, conservative politicians, or commentators who opposed Palestinian statehood under Arafat’s leadership.
For those critics, “an Arafat state” usually implied:
- Security Concerns: Fear that a Palestinian state under Arafat would be used as a platform for terrorism or violence against Israel.
- Corruption and Governance Issues: Allegations of corruption, authoritarianism, or chaotic governance within the Palestinian Authority led by Arafat.
- Ideological Opposition: Scepticism about whether Arafat was genuinely committed to a peaceful two-state solution or whether he still harboured goals of eventually dismantling Israel.
- Political Rhetoric: The term served as shorthand in Israeli political debates for expressing distrust or opposition to the peace process and later peace initiatives that involved granting Palestinians greater autonomy or statehood under Arafat.
In short, calling a potential Palestinian state “an Arafat state” wasn’t merely descriptive.
Instead, it was usually meant pejoratively to express doubt or outright hostility about Palestinian self-rule under Arafat’s leadership.
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