First government of Israel


The first government of Israel was formed by David Ben-Gurion on 8 March 1949, a month and a half after the elections for the First Knesset. His Mapai party formed a coalition with the United Religious Front, the Progressive Party, the Sephardim and Oriental Communities and the Democratic List of Nazareth, and there were 12 ministers.

Election results

There were around 434,000 valid votes cast in the 1949 election.
Party nameNumber of votesPercentageNumber of seats
Mapai155,27435.7%46
Mapam64,01814.7%19
United Religious Front52,98212.2%16
Herut Movement49,78211.5%14
General Zionists22,6615.2%7
Sephardim and Oriental Communities15,2873.5%4
Israel Communist Party15,1483.5%4
Democratic List of Nazareth7,3871.7%2
Fighter's List5,3631.2%1
WIZO5,1731.2%1
Yemenite Association4,3991%1

Cabinet

History and policies

A notable piece of legislation enacted during the term of the first government was an educational law in 1949 which introduced compulsory schooling for all children between the ages of 5 and 14.

Security policy

One of the promises made by Mapai was to sign the 1949 Armistice Agreements, which they duly did. This laid out the foundation for the Green Line, a idemarcation line set out in the agreements between the Israeli army and those of its neighbours after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. It served as the de facto borders of the State of Israel from 1949 until the Six-Day War in 1967, and continues to represent Israel's internationally recognized borders with the two Palestinian territories: the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.During this government, they set out the terms for Israeli conscription.

Economic policy

During the government, austerity policies began, and oversaw a socialist distribution and rationing system. These policies largely came about as Israel had interited the economy of Mandatory Palestine, which had operated under wartime rationing.

Dissolution

Ben-Gurion resigned on 15 October 1950 after the United Religious Front objected to his demands that the Supply and Rationing Ministry be closed and a businessman appointed as Minister for Trade and Industry, as well as issues over education in the new immigrant camps.