Tak proporcjonalne, jak tylko możliwe. Kilka uwag na temat izraelskiego systemu wyborczego

Abstract

As proportional as possible: A few comments on the electoral system in Israel

In this article I describe the electoral system in Israel and I study its proportionality. In the first part, I describe the legal basis of electoral system in Israel – the single electoral district, electoral threshold currently 2%, the tactics of the apparentment and the distribution of seats among the lists. The general framework for the elections was laid down in article 4 of the Basic Law: The Knesset, and according to it, the Knesset is to be elected in general, country-wide, direct, equal, secret and proportional elections. In the second part of the article, I describe the consequences of the electoral system in Israel. Particularly, I focus on the infl uence of the electoral system on the number of mandates in Knesset. I come to the conclusion that the electoral system in Israel guarantees proportional representation in Knesset. My conclusions are presented in the final part of the article. I affirm that electoral systems should be responsive to the social conditioning of the country, and I think that the electoral system in Israel reflects this condition. The Israeli electoral system is highly proportional and enables many political parties to be represented in Knesset. Therefore, the electoral system in Israel could be described as very proportional one – as proportional as possible.