In May, the Right came to power in the HaMahapakh – ‘the Earthquake’ – that characterised the ninth Israeli election. For the first time since Herzl founded the modern Zionist movement in 1897, a coalition of the Right – astutely assembled by Menahem Begin – outstripped support for the Left and its liberal partners. The Labour party had been beset by scandal, corruption, defections and infighting between its dual leadership of Prime Minister Rabin and Defence Minister Peres. The Labour Alignment lost a third of its voters in the election – most of whom switched to Yigael Yadin’s Democratic Movement for Change (Dash) which garnered fifteen seats. The NRP, influenced by its Young Guard and Gush Emunim, moved to the Right and also gained seats. Ariel Sharon’s Shlomzion and the party of Shmuel Flatto-Sharon, who was standing to escape extradition to France, both attained a couple of mandates. While Sheli entered the Knesset, both the Civil Rights Movement and the ILP lost a majority of their seats. The Right coalesced as the Left fragmented.