List of Alternate Presidents 2.0.

[SATW]

I did an alternate Israeli PM's list sometime over a year ago in the old thread. I'm gonna work on a new list and post it with some descriptions of each PM's tenure. Will post it sometime tomorrow.

[SATW]

Alternate Israeli Prime Ministers:
1. David Ben-Gurion, Mapai: 1949-1959 Retires
2. David Bar-Rav-Hai, Mapai: 1959-1965 Loses Re-election
3. Zalman Abramov, Liberal: 1965-1971 Loses Re-election
4. Golda Meir, Mapai: 1971-1976 Retires
5. Menachem Begin, Herut: 1976-1983 Retires
6. Chaim Herzog, Mapai: 1983-1990 Retires
7. Zevulun Hammer, National Religious Party: 1990-1993 Loses Re-election
8. Moshe Arens, Herut: 1993-1998 Loses Re-election
9. Ehud Barak, Mapai: 1998-2002 Loses Re-election
10. Benjamin Netanyahu, Herut: 2002-2011 Retires
11. Yuli-Yoel Edelstein, Herut: 2011-2015 Loses Re-election
12. Yair Lapid, Liberal: 2015-Current


Election Years:
- 1949
- 1952
- 1955
- 1959
- 1963
- 1965
- 1968
- 1971
- 1974
- 1976
- 1980
- 1983
- 1987
- 1990
- 1993
- 1996
- 1998
- 2000
- 2002
- 2005
- 2009
- 2011
- 2015


Presidents of Israel: (Elections occur based on Knesset election year results)
1. Chaim Weizmann, General Zionists: 1949-1952 Dies
2. Shoshana Persitz, General Zionists: 1952-1959 Replaced
3. Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, Mapai: 1959-1963 Dies
4. Bechor-Shalom Sheetrit, Mapai: 1963-1965 Replaced
5. Peretz Bernstein, Liberal: 1965-1968 Retires
6. Zalman Shazar, National Religious Party: 1968-1973 Resigns*
7. Yigal Allon, Mapai: 1973-1976 Replaced
8. Haim Landau, Herut: 1976-1980 Retires
9. Elimelekh Rimalt, Liberal: 1980-1983 Replaced
10. Abba Eban, Mapai: 1983-1987 Retires
11. Yitzhak Navon, Mapai: 1987-1990 Replaced
12. Daniel-Yitzhak Levy, National Religious Party: 1990-1993 Replaced
13. Miriam Glazer-Ta'asa, Herut: 1993-1998  Retires
14. Yael Dayan, Mapai/Meretz: 1998-2002 Replaced **
15. Tommy Lapid, Liberal: 2002-2005 Resigns/Liberals leave Government ***
16. Natan Sharansky, Yisrael BaAliyah: 2005-2009 Becomes Jewish Agency Chairman
17. Yitzhak Levy, National Religious Party: 2009-2011 Replaced
18. Benny Begin, Herut: 2011-2015 Replaced
19. Yoav Galant, Independent: 2015-Current

* The National Religious Party became very strong by 1963 and attracted religious politicians from other parties, such as Zalman Shazar from Mapai. Despite Shazar's party switch, he maintained good relations w/ Mapai, and after the Liberals lost in 1971, he helped bring NRP into Golda Meir's coalition government. After the Yom Kippur war, Shazar resigned to allow a Mapai candidate take the Presidency.

** Yael Dayan, daughter of famed Israeli Gen. Moshe Dayan, leaves Mapai and joins Meretz in 1999. Her presence in the party helps Meretz gain significant support in the 2000 elections. This allows for Mapai and Meretz to form a coalition without the more hawkish Liberal Party. Liberals locked out of government for first time in decades. Mapai started trend dovish on foreign policy following the 1990 election loss.

*** Newly elected PM Netanyahu's Herut and Tommy Lapid's Liberals' share the stage on election night. Seen as a symbolic mocking of Mapai for casting the Liberals aside in 2000. Tommy Lapid makes unusual move of being elected President, while also maintaining leadership of the Liberal Party. Lapid does not hold a cabinet portfolio, but helps mold a more publicly relevant image for the previously ceremonial Presidency. However, Lapid's goal of promoting a secular/socially liberal agenda would not come to fruition. The free-marketeer Bibi was able to work w/ Lapid on economics, but his alliance with the NRP and the ultra-haredi parties eventually cause tensions. Lapid topples the coalition by leading the Liberals out of the coalition and by resigning as President.

I'll do a following post that lists all of the party leaders and coalitions after each election.

[SATW]

SATW, in your list is Benny Begin in the Knesset after his Presidency? I have always rather liked him.

Nope, he retired from politics. Traditionally, people want to become President of Israel for one of a few reasons: 1.) elevate their political profile to either stay relevant (i.e. Rivlin) 2.) Finish off their political career on a high note (i.e. Peres) 3.) Influence Policy from a different standpoint (i.e. if they can't become PM, they'll run for President to try and talk about their issues).

None of the people I made President in this timeline had a major role in politics after serving and maybe one or two would return to the Knesset, but would serve as backbenchers or loyalists for whoever was their party's leader.

Tommy Lapid was the only one in my timeline who used the Presidency as an active tool to try and get his party into the Premiership. He resigned as President to run for his seat in Knesset/PM again, but lost badly and left office not long after (he dies IRL in 2008, so him leaving politics in 2005 is realistic).

[SATW]

Before I get started:

in 1960, the 2nd year of Bar-Rav-Hai's premiership, Israel adopted electoral reforms. Israel transitioned from it's IRL list system to a proportional/Multi-member district system. This system is not as strong as other proportional systems are (thus Israel still having a ton of election years in my TL, but it is strong enough to secure lengthy terms for most PMs.)

Israel's Presidency became an integral part of coalition bargaining. A good example is Bibi's coalitions. He didn't have a Prez from his party at any point during his PMship due to him rationing it off to coalition partners. Part of why this happened was because I decided to keep Israel's original system for electing Presidents, which was pretty much right after any election year (the Knesset votes on selecting Presidents, IRL and in my TL).

Today, Israel has a single term of 7 years for Presidents. and before that 5 year terms with no term limit.  So much different system.


Political Parties:
- Mapai (1949-Current) Center-Left to Left; Social Democracy (Formerly Democratic Socialism); Labor Zionism
- Herut (1949-Current) Center-Right to Right; Free Market economics; National Conservatism; Revisionist Zionism
- National Religious Party (NRP) (1949*-Current) Religious Zionism; Social Conservatism; Economically Centrist (at varying points in history); Jewish Democracy
- Democratic List for Unified Peace (1949**-Current)Center (Formerly Center-Left); Arab/Druze/Muslim/Christian Zionism; Arab Interests; Social Liberalism; Secularism
- Religious Torah Front (RTF) (1953-Current***): Religious Conservatism; Halacha; Ashkenazi-Sephardic/Mizrahi Haredi Unity; Haredi Ultra-Orthodox Interests
- General Zionists (1949-1961****) Center to Center-Right; Liberalism; Zionism; Free-Market Economics
- Progressive Party (1949-1961****) Center to Center-Left; Social Liberalism; Liberalism; Zionism; Secularism
- Liberal Party (1961-Current) Center; Classical Liberalism; Free-Market Economics; Social Liberalism; Zionism
- Meretz (1967-Current*****)Left; Secularism; Green Zionism; Labor Zionism; Feminism; Social Democracy (Formerly Democratic Socialism); Social Justice
- Arabic Coalition of Resistance (1967-1972; 1980-Current******): Left and Right; Arab Nationalism; Palestinian Nationalism; Anti-Zionism; Democratic Socialism; Political and Religious Islam; Social Conservatism
- Yisrael BaAliyah (1995-Current) Center to Center-Right; Russian Jewish Interests; Post-USSR Jewish Immigrant Interests; Revisionist Zionism; Classical Liberalism; Secularism

* NRP was known as United Religious Front from 1949-1953, when the Haredi/Ultra-Orthodox parties broke away. The remaining factions renamed themselves NRP in 1953. It's two main factions, today, include a Stable Israel Faction and a Greater Israel Faction. The former is more moderate on foreign policy/the peace process/religiosity while the latter is much more hawkish and and has more fervor to it's social conservatism. The second faction is also more likely pro-free market views on the economy, while the first is more populist, and in some cases, aligned with Mapai.

** Formerly known as the Democratic List for Nazareth and the Democratic List for Israeli Arabs. This is the Pro-Zionist Arab party in this timeline. They were originally aligned with Mapai as a center-left coalition partner throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. In the 1980s, the traditionally center-left party drifted towards the center and focused on becoming a big tent, Pro-Arab, Pro-Zionist party. It represents Muslims, Druze, and Christians in Israel. It has coalitioned w/ right-leaning governments in recent years, but still prefers Mapai-led governments.

*** The Haredi Ultra-Orthodox Parties broke away from what is now known as the NRP in 1953 and launched their own party. It started off mainly as an Ashkenazi Haredi Party, but in 1974, after the Yom Kippur War, opened up a small Sephardic/Mizrahi faction. In 1976, after the Herut Party won it's first election, the RTF gave equal representation to Ashkenazi and Sephardic/Mizrahi wings. Herut had a ton of Sephardic/Mizrahi support, due to their, general, support for their interests, and RTF wanted in on a coalition government. They are MUCH weaker than IRL and the NRP has much more influence in this timeline's version of Israel.

**** General Zionists and Progressives merge into the Liberal Party in 1961. From 1961-1983 it was seen as a natural ally for the Israeli right, as it existed mainly to oppose Mapai. From 1983-2000, it played a big role in the governments of both the left and the right. 2000-2005 it was aligned with Netanyahu very closely. Since 2005, it has been more a natural ally for Mapai and its allies on social and equality issues. It is still more aligned w/ Herut on the economy and some foreign policy issues, but, for the time being, it seems more inclined to talk about social issues.

***** The main left-wing opposition to Mapai. Formed after the Six-Day War to promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians and the rest of the Arab World. It was originally named Democratic Camp for Peace (1967-1979) and the Progressive Camp for Peace (1979-1990) before becoming Meretz in 1990, right before the elections. The Party is made up of remnants Mapam and Maki. Ratz, another left-wing party, merged w/ Meretz in 1990.

****** A New Arabic party, almost entirely Muslim, but with some other minority religious support, was born after the Six-Day War. This party, unlike Democratic List for Unified Peace, was very much Anti-Zionist and Anti-Israel. It resembles the IRL version of the Joint Arab List alliance in the Knesset. They were originally called the Palestinian Unification Front until they were banned in 1972 for providing material and political support for Islamic and Secular Palestinian terrorist organizations. It particularly voiced its support for the Munich Massacre. They were allowed to return under a different name in 1980, by the Israeli Supreme Court, once it deemed the party harmless to the Israeli population.

[SATW]

Minor Parties:

Mapam (1949-1969) Socialist Party; Aligned w/ USSR (lol) until 1953 when one of their guys was persecuted and arrested in Prague for "being apart of a zionist conspiracy." Denounced the USSR and in the next elections were allowed to coalition w/ Mapai. Remained a minor coalition partner for Mapai until they merged w/ what is now known as Meretz in the late 1960s.
Maki (1949-1967)Communist party; nothing to see here, they were useless.
WIZO: WIZO is a women's Jewish group. They ran in 1949 elections IRL. Their only MK, only served from 1949-1951, joined the Liberals in the 1960s and was elected to Knesset again.

Sephardim and Oriental Communities (1949-1967) Self-explanatory, Sephardic/Mizrahi interests. Coalitioned w/ Mapai for first few governments (1949-1959). It's first leader, Bechor-Shalom Sheetrit, would join Mapai in 1951, to create a Sephardic/Mizrahi presence in that party, despite its historic tensions w/ their community. In 1963, despite Sheetrit being Israel's first non-Ashkenazi president, this party decided to align itself with the opposition (Liberals and Herut), and joined their coalition gov't in 1965 and dissolved as a party in 1967, right before the Six-Day War. The party's MKs and voters split between the Liberals and Herut, depending on where they lived.

It was led by Eliyahu Eliashar from 1951-1967. His total Knesset service was from 1949-1974.


Yemenite Association   (1949-1967) Yemenite Interests party. Served in Mapai Coaliton from 1949-1952, before becoming an opposition party. It would later align itself w/ the Liberals, Sephardim and Oriental Communities and Herut. In 1967, right before the war, they dissolved. Members split between Herut and the Liberals.

Ratz (1973-1990) A minor left-wing party that merged w/ Meretz in 1990.

[SATW]

Israeli Party Leaders: (Continuing off my Alternate Israeli PMs/Presidents list)


Mapai
1. David Ben Gurion: 1949-1959
2. David Bar-Rav-Hai: 1959-1965
3. Levi Eshkol: 1965-1969 * Dies
4. Golda Meir: 1969-1976
5. Shlomo Hillel: 1976-1981
6. Chaim Herzog: 1981-1990
7. Mordechai Gur: 1990-1991
8. Yitzhak Rabin: 1991-1993
9. Shimon Peres: 1993-1996
10. Ehud Barak: 1996-2002
11. Dalia Itzik: 2002-2007
12. Isaac Herzog: 2007-2012
13. Shelly Yachimovich: 2012-Current


Herut
1. Menachem Begin: 1949-1983
2. Yitzhak Shamir: 1983-1987
3. David Levy: 1987-1990
4. Moshe Arens: 1990-1998
5. Dan Meridor: 1998-2000
6. Benjamin Netanyahu: 2000-2011
7. Yuli-Yoel Edelstein: 2011-2015
8. Miri Regev: 2015-Current

General Zionists
1. Israel Rokach: 1949-1959 * Dies
2. Peretz Bernstein: 1959-1961
(Merges into the Liberal Party)
Liberals
1. Peretz Bernstein: 1961-1963
2. Zalman Abramov: 1963-1971
3. Batsheva Katznelson: 1971-1974
4. Zvi Zimmerman: 1974-1980
5. Shmuel Tamir: 1980-1987 * Dies
6. Yitzhak Moda'i: 1987-1994
7. Avraham Poraz: 1994-1996
8. Tommy Lapid: 1996-2006*
9. Victor Brailovsky: 2006-2007
10. Nachman Shai: 2007-2011
11. Yair Lapid: 2011-Current

National Religious Party
1. Haim-Moshe Shapira: 1949-1970 * Dies
2. Yosef Burg: 1970-1978
3. Daniel-Yitzhak Levy: 1978-1987
4. Zevulun Hammer: 1987-1996
5. Yitzhak Levy: 1996-2009
6. Uri Orbach: 2009-2013
7. Naftali Bennett: 2013-Current

Democratic List for Unified Peace
1. Seif el-Din el-Zoubi: 1949-1959
2. Salah-Hassan Hanifes: 1959-1965
1. Seif el-Din el-Zoubi: 1965-1978
3. Elias Nakhleh: 1978-1987
4. Zeidan Atashi: 1987-2002
5. Majalli Wahabi: 2002-2011
6. Gabriel Naddaf: 2011-Current

Democratic Camp for Peace
1. Uri Avnery: 1967-1979
(Merges into Progressive Camp)
Progressive Camp for Peace
1. Uri Avnery: 1979-1981
2. Shalom Cohen: 1981-1990
(Merges into Meretz)
Meretz
1. Shulamit Aloni: 1990-1999
2. Yael Dayan: 1999-2002*
3. Uzi Even: 2002-2005
4. Yossi Beilin: 2005-2009
5. Zehava Gal-On: 2009-2013
6. Nitzan Horowitz: 2013-Current

Yisrael BaAliyah
1. Natan Sharansky: 1996-2005
2. Yuli-Yoel Edelstein: 2005-2008**
3. Avigdor Lieberman: 2008-Current

* Serves as Israeli President while serving as Party Leader (Yael Dayan and Tommy Lapid)
** Resigns as Party Leader and joins Herut (Yuli-Yoel Edelstein)

Palestinian Unification Front
1. Abdullah Nimar Darwish: 1967-1972***
(Party Banned; Darwish arrested)
Arabic Coalition of Resistance
1. Tawfiq Ziad: 1980-1990
2. Mohammed Miari: 1990-1995
3. Azmi Bishara: 1995-2000 ****
4. Jamal Zahalka: 2000-2007 ****
5. Masud Ghnaim: 2007-2008 ****
6. Mohammad Barakeh: 2008-2011
7. Ahmad Tibi: 2011-2015
8. Ayman Odeh: 2015-Current

*** Darwish arrested multiple times from 1972-1976 for his behavior at protests; In 1977, a few years earlier than IRL, he was arrested for his connections to terror groups. He would be in prison until 1983. His former party, which was unbanned in 1980, disassociated from him.

By 1990, Darwish denounced extremism and espoused less extreme versions of his previous, anti-Zionist views.

**** Bishara flees Israel to go into hiding in Qatar in 2007 due to his connections and financial ties to Hezbollah. Israel stripped his parliamentary immunity and was close to an indictment.

ACR Leader Jamal Zahalka, himself known for controversy, refused to denounce Bishara and faced backlash from all sides in Israel.

Zahalka resigned as party leader/from the Knesset shortly before the 2007 elections, throwing his party into chaos, due to this pressure. He was replaced by an equally stubborn Masud Ghnaim for the elections. Ghnaim was forced out after big losses.