Women Largely Absent From Israeli Politics, Especially on the Right
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS French by baba
Women constitute only 26% of Israel's Knesset members as of March 2026, ranking Israel low globally in female political representation. Despite electing Golda Meir as its first female Prime Minister in 1969, the country has not had another woman in the top leadership role. The majority of current female lawmakers are in opposition parties, while the ruling coalition and ultra-Orthodox parties have minimal or no female representation.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Women hold 26% of seats in Israel's Knesset, with 31 out of 120 members as of March 2026.
- Israel ranks 31st among 38 OECD countries and 95th globally for female parliamentary representation.
- Only 5 out of 24 ministers in the current Israeli government are women.
- Golda Meir, elected Prime Minister in 1969, remains the only woman to have led Israel.
- Most female lawmakers serve in opposition parties, while the ruling coalition has limited female representation.
- Ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism have no women on their electoral lists.
As of March 2026, women hold only 26% of the seats in Israel's Knesset, with 31 out of 120 members. This places Israel 31st among 38 OECD countries and around 95th globally, below the international average. The current government includes just 5 female ministers out of 24. This underrepresentation stands in contrast to Israel's history, as it was one of the first nations to elect a female leader, Golda Meir, as Prime Minister in 1969. A famous quote attributed to David Ben Gurion, describing Meir as "the only man in the government," highlights the era's perception that women in politics needed to emulate male characteristics to be taken seriously. Over fifty years later, Meir remains the only woman to have led the country.
The disparity is also evident in political party representation. A majority of female lawmakers currently serve in the opposition, with parties like Yesh Atid having about ten women and the Labor Party having three out of four of its Knesset members. Conversely, Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu's coalition, formed in 2022, included only about ten women. Furthermore, the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism do not have any women on their electoral lists.
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