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Meretz Party (Israel)

Mifleget Meretz

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image by Željko Heimer

Description
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HaShomer HaTzair Youth Movement

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Description

The only party that showed something during the 1999 political campaign that can be considered as a semi-official flag was Meretz which used a logo on white bedsheet. Its green-white logo can be seen here.
Dov Gutterman, 19 May 1999

Meretz is a left-wing party. It uses its logo on white, sometimes with a slogan added.
Dov Gutterman, 20 August 2001

This is not an official flag and has no specifications, but it is hoisted in front of the party headquarters in Tel-Aviv. The size of the emblem could differ from one production series to another. I guess it depends in who the manufacturer is.
Dov Gutterman, 21 August 2001

Full name in 2003 elections: HaBhira HaDemocratit - Sahar (The Democratic Choice - Dawn)
Letters: Mem-Resh-Tzadi (hance MERETZ = zest)
Flag/logo: The previous logo wite MERETZ on green rectangle, was updated by adding a yellow sun (probably because of Sahar=dawn). The old logo appears on white background. No spotting of any flags this time but I guess it was updated too.
Remarks: Est. 1992 by RATZ - the movement for civil rights, MAPAM - united workers party and Shinui (now a seperate party).
Dov Gutterman, 27 January 2003

Meretz is an example how the 'letters' of a lists became the popular and common name of the list. It seems that many in the public and media that refer to "Meretz Party" aren't aware that there is no such party at all. Meretz letters are mem-resh-tzadi. It is written with regular tzadi and not a suffix one at its end but it vocally sounds like "vigor".
Full name of the list is Meretz - Yisrael Hevratit Demokratit (Democratic Socialist Israel) and it is a left wing list.
Meretz was founded in 1992 as a union of:

1) Hatnu'a'a Lezhuyot HaEzrah U'LeShalom (Civil Rights and Peace Movement). Resh-tzadi (hence Ratz) were the assigned letters of this party (vocally sound like "running"). It was split from the labor party before 1973 elections.
2) Mapam - Mifleget Poalim Meuhedet (United Workers Party) - Founded 1949 as a union of HaShomer HaTzayir (The young Guard) and Hatnu'a'a LeAkhdut HaAvoda Poale Zion (Movement for Labor Unity - Workers of Zion) which split back in 1954. In 1969-1984 it ran together with the Labor Party (giving its mem to its EMET letters, left there even after Mapam stopped this joined run).
3) Part of Shinui

After the blow in 2003 elections it was decided to found a new left wing bloc named Yahad (Together - initials for Yisrael Hevratit Demokratit), but only Meretz and Shahar (another left wing split of the labor party) joined the new bloc. Internal discussion brought to compromise in which the movement was renamed Meretz-Yahad. It is led by Yosi Beilin (Leader of Shahar).
Even thou that Meretz-Yahad got a joined logo it was decided the list will use only Meretz logo and flag during the 2006 campaign. Meretz logo is a new one which replaced the old one used in previous elections
Meretz got 5 seats at 2006 elections. Web site at <www.myparty.org.il>.
Dov Gutterman, 25 March and 7 June 2006

Previous Flag

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image by Željko Heimer

HaShomer HaTzair Youth Movement

At the Israeli National Photo Collection there is a photo of "MEMBERS OF "HASHOMER HATZAIR" YOUTH MOVEMENT IN KFAR SABA BRANCH BLOWING THE TRUMPET AS THEY WAVE THE MOVEMENT'S FLAG.".
HaShomer HaTzair (The Young Guard) is the youth movement of the flag of MAPAM (Mifleget HaPoalim HaMeuhedet - United Workers Party), one of MERETZ ingridiants..
Dov Gutterman, 12 March 2005