Assembly of Representatives election, 1920

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Elections to the Assembly of Representatives were held in Mandate Palestine on 19 April 1920, except in Jerusalem, where they were held on 3 May.

Mandatory Palestine A former geopolitical entity in Palestine occupied from the Ottoman Empire in WW1 aiming to creat the conditions for the establishment of national home to the Jewish People. Ceased to exist with the establishment of the Jewish State - Israel

Mandatory Palestine was a geopolitical entity established between 1920 and 1923 in the region of Palestine as part of the Partition of the Ottoman Empire under the terms of the British Mandate for Palestine.

Jerusalem City in the Middle East

Jerusalem is a city in the Middle East, located on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the oldest cities in the world, and is considered holy to the three major Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority claim Jerusalem as their capital, as Israel maintains its primary governmental institutions there and the State of Palestine ultimately foresees it as its seat of power; however, neither claim is widely recognized internationally.

Contents

Background

Following the British conquest of Ottoman Palestine in 1917, Jewish leaders met in Petah Tikva on 17 November to discuss the formation of a representative convention. [1] After Jerusalem fell to the British, another convention was held, this time in Jaffa, to discuss the establishment of an organisation for the Jews of Palestine. [2] A committee was formed with the mandate to hold elections to a Constituent Assembly. [2]

Petah Tikva Place in Israel

Petah Tikva, also known as Em HaMoshavot, is a city in the Central District of Israel, 10.6 km (6.59 mi) east of Tel Aviv. It was founded in 1878, mainly by Orthodox Jews of the Old Yishuv, and became a permanent settlement in 1883 with the financial help of Baron Edmond de Rothschild.

Jaffa old part of the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo

Jaffa, in Hebrew Yafo, or in Arabic Yaffa, the southern and oldest part of Tel Aviv-Yafo, is an ancient port city in Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical stories of Jonah, Solomon and Saint Peter as well as the mythological story of Andromeda and Perseus, and later for its oranges.

With northern Palestine still held by the Ottomans, a second convention was held in Jaffa in July 1918 and elections were scheduled to be held by the end of 1918. [2] However, after the armistice was signed in November, delegates were required to represent Palestinian Jews at the peace conference. [2] A third convention was held in Jaffa on 18 December, to which every settlement, community and political party were invited. [2] Chaim Weizmann and Nahum Sokolow were chosen to represent the community at the peace conference. [2]

Armistice situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting

An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, since it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the Latin arma, meaning "arms" and -stitium, meaning "a stopping".

Chaim Weizmann 19th and 20th-century Zionist leader and first president of Israel

Chaim Azriel Weizmann was a Zionist leader and Israeli statesman who served as President of the Zionist Organization and later as the first President of Israel. He was elected on 16 February 1949, and served until his death in 1952. Weizmann convinced the United States government to recognize the newly formed state of Israel.

Nahum Sokolow Hebrew journalist, editor, essayist, and political leader

Nahum Sokolow was a Zionist leader, author, translator, and a pioneer of Hebrew journalism.

The elections were then postponed several times, [3] before they were fixed for 26 October 1919. [4] However, they were postponed again as Weizmann was worried that internal divisions would weaken the Jewish negotiating position. [4] The date was finally set for 19 April 1920 after it was confirmed that the British would have the Mandate for Palestine. [4]

Electoral system

At the first meeting in Jaffa, it was decided that the election would be held using secret balloting, and would be direct. [2] However, no agreement was made on women's suffrage. [2] The second meeting confirmed that men and women over the age of 21 would be entitled to vote, although the issue of women candidates remained unresolved. [2] The issue was raised at the third Jaffa convention, and despite opposition from Orthodox Jews, it was decided that women would be allowed to stand as candidates. [2] However, ultimately the Orthodox held separate elections in Jerusalem on 3 May, from which women were banned from participating. [4]

Womens suffrage the legal right of women to vote

Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections; a person who advocates the extension of suffrage, particularly to women, is called a suffragist. Limited voting rights were gained by women in Tuscany, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and some Australian colonies and western U.S. states in the late 19th century. National and international organizations formed to coordinate efforts to gain voting rights, especially the International Woman Suffrage Alliance, and also worked for equal civil rights for women.

Voters elected one member for every 80 voters, except for the Orthodox, who elected one for every 40 voters on the basis that women were banned from their vote. [4] A total of 263 delegates were elected in the general voting, and another 51 by Orthodox voters. [4]

Results

PartySeats
Ahdut HaAvoda 70
Histadrut HaSephardim 54
Haredi Party53
Hapoel Hatzair 41
Histadrut Haikarim 16
Advanced Party13
Yemenite Association 12
Mizrachi 9
Unnamed Group7
Independents 7
Craftsmen's Centre6
Women's Union5
Bukharan Jews5
Clerk's Union5
Youth of Israel Union4
Citizen's Union3
Mizrahi Youth Union2
Georgian Jews1
Maccabi Union 1
Total314

Around 22,000 of the 26,000 registered voters participated in the election. [4]

Aftermath

The Assembly met for the first time on 7 October 1920, and voted to admit the 51 Orthodox representatives. [4] It also elected the Jewish National Council to serve as an executive committee. [4]

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References

  1. ↑ Zalman Abramov (1976) Perpetual dilemma: Jewish religion in the Jewish State Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press, p 87–88
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Abramov, p88
  3. ↑ Abramov, p89
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Abramov, p90
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