1931 Assembly of Representatives election

Elections to the Assembly of Representatives were held in Mandatory Palestine on 5 January 1931.[1] Mapai emerged as the largest party, winning 27 of the 71 seats.

1931 Assembly of Representatives election

5 January 1931
71 seats in the Assembly of Representatives
Party Leader % Seats ± Mapai David Ben-Gurion 43.5% 27 -27 Hatzohar Ze'ev Jabotinsky 16.3% 10 -5 Sephardic Bloc Bechor-Shalom Sheetrit 4.7% 5 -8 Mizrachi–Hapoel HaMizrachi Yehuda Leib Maimon 8.3% 5 -8 General Zionists Peretz Bernstein 5.7% 5 +5 Sephardic Revisionists 4.3% 5 +5 Sephardic Workers None 3.3% 4 +4 Women's Association None 3.8% 3 +3 Yemenite Association Saadia Kobashi 3.1% 3 +3 Poale Zion Ya'akov Zerubavel 1.8% 1 +1 Borochov Workers None 1.8% 1 +1 Hashomer Hatzair None 1.6% 1 +1 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

Electoral system

Voter choice was limited by ethnic group; Ashkenazi Jews could only vote for Ashkenazi lists, whilst Sephardic Jews and Yemenite Jews were similarly constrained.[1] A total of 18 lists contested the election.[1] The number of seats in the Assembly was reduced from 221 to 71.[1]

Campaign

The elections were boycotted by Agudat Yisrael in protest at women being allowed to vote and the Yishuv's approach to religious education and ritual slaughter.[1]

Results

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Mapai	21,497	43.45	27
	Revisionists	8,069	16.31	10
	Mizrachi–Hapoel HaMizrachi	4,107	8.30	5
	General Zionists	2,841	5.74	5
	Sephardic Bloc	2,301	4.65	6
	Sephardic Revisionists	2,121	4.29	5
	Women's Association	1,861	3.76	3
	Sephardic Workers	1,653	3.34	4
	Yemenites	1,515	3.06	3
	Poale Zion	902	1.82	1
	Borochov Workers	891	1.80	1
	Hashomer Hatzair	812	1.64	1
	Proletarian List	524	1.06	0
	Artisans Group	352	0.71	0
	Sephardic Poale Zion	28	0.06	0
	Sephardic Borochov Workers	1	0.00	0
	Middle Class Association	0	0.00	0
	Hitahdut HaIkarim	0	0.00	0
Total		49,475	100.00	71
Valid votes		49,475	98.09
Invalid/blank votes		961	1.91
Total votes		50,436	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		75,046	67.21
Source: UNISPAL

Aftermath

Following the elections, the Assembly elected the 23-member Jewish National Council, with eleven elected from Mapai, four from the Sephardim Bloc, three from Mizrachi, three from the General Zionists and two from smaller parties.[1] The Revisionists refused to join the Council on the basis that the Assembly had refused to pass three resolutions it presented on not taking part in the Legislative Council, overturning the decision of the Jewish Agency to take part in a round table conference or to not send members to negotiate with the British government.[1]

References

1. Report by His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Council of the League of Nations on the Administration of Palestine and Trans-Jordan for the Year 1930 UNISPAL