28 Women Elected to Knesset in Record
Ayelet Shaked of the Jewish Home Party is one of 28 women elected to the Knesset. Image by FLASH90
Ayelet Shaked of the Jewish Home Party is one of 28 women elected to the Knesset./Flash90
In an election with the highest voter turnout since 1999, a record 28 women were chosen for the 20th Knesset.
The percentage of eligible voters who came out Tuesday was 71.8; the turnout 14 years ago was 78.7 percent.
Ten of the parties running in the election garnered seats in the Knesset, with 15 not reaching the electoral threshold of 3.45 percent, or four seats.
The number of women elected broke the record of 27 set in the 2013 elections, according to the Israel Democracy Institute. The Zionist Union had eight women elected, followed by the Likud Party with six.
The number of Orthodox and haredi Orthodox lawmakers fell from 39 to 25, while the number of Arab-Israeli lawmakers increased from 12 to 17, including one each in the Zionist Union, Likud and Meretz parties.
The Knesset will welcome 41 new lawmakers, or slightly more than one-third of the parliament, according to the Israel Democracy Institute.
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