Democratic Movement for Change

(DMC, Hatnua Hademocratit Leshinui)

   The DMC was a political party formed in 1976 in order to contest the 1977 Knesset election. In May 1976, Professor Yigael Yadin appeared on Israeli television and announced that he would form a new political party to contest the next election with a program that concentrated on domestic political reform. He suggested that the party would play a key role in any future government coalition. He had decided to enter politics and create the party because the country urgently needed certain reforms to enable it to combat social and economic ills. Yadin believed that electoral reform must be the nation's first priority because the proportional representative system had created a leadership crisis. He also called for reductions in the number of government ministries and drastic cuts in the government budget.

   The nucleus of the party was formed around academic and governmental personalities. The Shinui (Change) Movement, headed by Amnon Rubinstein, joined, and the party took the name of Democratic Movement for Change. The DMC contested the 1977 election and won a surprising 15 seats. The unexpected Likud victory provided the base for DMC's efforts to influence the nature and direction of Israeli politics. The main goal of the DMC was still to become a partner in the coalition with a significant political role. During the 1977 election campaign, it demanded a number of crucial points: a significant reduction in the number of government ministries, an economic program designed to reduce inflation, programs for disadvan-taged areas, electoral reform, and support for DMC views on foreign policy. The DMC soon entered into negotiations to enter the Likud-led government coalition, but there were problems resulting from divergent foreign policy views and positions. Ultimately, the DMC would join the coalition. Unlike other political parties, however, its membership cut across the spectrum of political ideologies and party affiliations. After joining the coalition government, the party split into several smaller groups and disintegrated by the time of the 1981 Knesset election.