In 1949, he made aliyah to Israel, where he joined Mapam, which had been formed by a merger of the Hashomer Hatzair Workers Party and the Ahdut HaAvoda Poale Zion Movement. In 1959, he became the party's political secretary, a role he held until 1965. In that year he was placed fifth on the Mapam list for the Knesset elections,[2] and was elected to the Knesset as the party won eight seats.