ABSTRACT
In the 1981 elections five parties defined as ethnically-based participated. These five parties joined a large group of “ethnic lists” which have been part of the political scene in Israel since the renewal of Jewish settlement in modern times (the New Yishuv). Since the elections to the first Asefat Ha-Nivharim (Elected Assembly) in 1920 and up to the tenth Knesset elections (1981), there were 49 ethnic lists, counting lists that ran for more than one election separately for each appearance (see table 1 for details).
