Twenty-ninth government of Israel
First Sharon Cabinet | |
|---|---|
| Status in legislature | Coalition government |
| Opposition leader | Yossi Sarid (until 2 November 2002) Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (after 2 November 2002) |
| History | |
| Election(s) | 2001 Israeli prime ministerial election |
| Legislature term(s) | 15th Knesset |
| Predecessor | 28th government of Israel |
| Successor | 30th government of Israel |
The twenty-ninth government of Israel was formed by
Gesher.[2]
Shas left the government on 23 May 2002, but returned on 3 June, whilst Labor–Meimad left on 2 November 2002.
The government initially had 26 ministers and 15 deputy ministers, making it the largest in Israeli political history, and resulting in a new $10,000 horseshoe-shaped table having to be installed in the Knesset plenum.center-right coalition government that was not dependent on the ultra-Orthodox parties.[4]
The government held office until Sharon formed the thirtieth government on 28 February 2003, following Likud's comprehensive victory in the January elections.
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Cabinet members
| Position | Person | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Minister | Ariel Sharon | Likud | |
Deputy Prime Minister
|
Shimon Peres (until 2 November 2002) | Labor-Meimad | |
| Silvan Shalom | Likud | ||
| Natan Sharansky | Yisrael BaAliyah | ||
| Eli Yishai 1 | Shas | ||
Minister of Agriculture
|
Shalom Simhon (until 2 November 2002) | Labor–Meimad | |
| Tzipi Livni (from 17 December 2002) | Likud | ||
Minister of Communications
|
Reuven Rivlin | Likud | |
Minister of Defense
|
Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (until 2 November 2002) | Labor–Meimad | |
| Shaul Mofaz (from 4 November 2002) | Not an MK | ||
Minister of Education
|
Limor Livnat | Likud | |
Minister of the Environment
|
Tzachi Hanegbi | Likud | |
Minister of Finance
|
Silvan Shalom | Likud | |
Minister of Foreign Affairs
|
Shimon Peres (until 2 November 2002) | Labor–Meimad | |
Binyamin Netanyahu (from 6 November 2002)
|
Not an MK | ||
Minister of Health
|
Nissim Dahan 1 | Shas | |
Minister of Housing and Construction
|
Natan Sharansky | Yisrael BaAliyah | |
Minister of Immigrant Absorption
|
Ariel Sharon | Likud | |
Minister of Industry, Trade and Labour
|
Dalia Itzik (until 2 November 2002) | Labor–Meimad | |
| Ariel Sharon (from 2 November 2002) | Likud | ||
Minister of Internal Affairs
|
Eli Yishai 1 | Shas | |
Minister of Internal Security
|
Uzi Landau | Likud | |
Minister of Jerusalem Affairs
|
Eli Suissa 1 | Shas | |
Minister of Justice
|
Meir Sheetrit | Likud | |
Minister of Labour and Social Welfare
|
Shlomo Benizri | Shas | |
Minister of National Infrastructure
|
Avigdor Lieberman (until 14 March 2002) | Yisrael Beiteinu | |
| Effi Eitam (from 18 September 2002) | Not an MK | ||
Minister of Regional Co-operation
|
Tzipi Livni (until 29 August 2001) | Likud | |
| Roni Milo (from 29 August 2001) | Centre Party
| ||
Minister of Religious Affairs
|
Asher Ohana | Not an MK | |
Minister of Science, Culture and Sport
|
Matan Vilnai | Not an MK | |
| Minister of Social Co-ordination | Shmuel Avital | Not an MK | |
Minister of Tourism
|
Rehavam Ze'evi (until 17 October 2001)2 | National Union | |
Benny Elon (31 October 2001 - 14 March 2002)
|
National Union | ||
| Yitzhak Levy (from 18 September 2002) | Not an MK | ||
Minister of Transportation
|
Efraim Sneh (until 2 November 2002) | Labor–Meimad | |
| Tzachi Hanegbi (from 15 December 2002) | Likud | ||
Minister without Portfolio
|
Ra'anan Cohen (until 18 August 2002) | Labor–Meimad | |
| Effi Eitam (8 April - 18 September 2002) | Not an MK | ||
| David Levy (8 April - 30 July 2002) | Gesher
| ||
| Yitzhak Levy (8 April - 18 September 2002) | Not an MK | ||
| Tzipi Livni (29 August 2001 - 17 December 2002) | Likud | ||
| Dan Meridor (from 29 August 2001) | Centre Party | ||
| Dan Naveh | Likud | ||
| Salah Tarif (until 29 January 2002) | Labor–Meimad | ||
| Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office | Yuri Stern (until 14 March 2002) | Yisrael Beiteinu | |
| Deputy Minister of Defense | Dalia Rabin-Pelossof (until 1 August 2002) | New Way | |
| Weizman Shiry (12 August - 2 November 2002) | Labor–Meimad | ||
| Deputy Minister of Education | Meshulam Nahari 1 | Shas | |
| Avraham Ravitz (from 16 April 2001) | United Torah Judaism | ||
| Deputy Minister of Finance | Yitzhak Cohen (from 2 May 2001)1 | Shas | |
| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs | Michael Melchior (until 2 November 2002) | Labor–Meimad | |
| Deputy Minister of Housing and Construction | Meir Porush (from 4 June 2001) | United Torah Judaism | |
| Deputy Minister of Immigrant Absorption | Yuli-Yoel Edelstein
|
Yisrael BaAliyah | |
| Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade | Eli Ben-Menachem (until 2 November 2002) | Labor–Meimad | |
| Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs | David Azulai (from 2 March 2001)1 | Shas | |
| Deputy Minister of Internal Security | Gideon Ezra | Likud | |
| Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Welfare | Yitzhak Vaknin (from 2 May 2001)1 | Shas | |
| Deputy Minister of National Infrastructure | Naomi Blumenthal (until 1 January 2003) | Likud | |
| Deputy Minister of Transportation | Avraham Yehezkel (until 2 November 2002)
|
Labor–Meimad | |
| Sofa Landver (12 August - 2 November 2002) | Labor–Meimad | ||
1 The Shas ministers resigned between 20 and 23 May 2002, but returned to office on 3 June. With the exception of the Jerusalem Affairs portfolio, during their absence, Ariel Sharon took over their positions.
2 Ze'evi was assassinated.
References
- ^ a b Sharon puts security first BBC News, 8 March 2001
- ^ a b Factional and Government Make-Up of the Fifteenth Knesset Knesset website
- ^ Saleh Tarif, MK Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- ISBN 9788883031809.
Interestingly, these cuts would not have been possible but for a courageous decision taken early in 2001 by the newly-elected Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. By forging a center-right government not dependent on the ultra-orthodox parties (and consequently no longer able to call on them to in times of trouble), Sharon broke the decades-old, ultra-orthodox veto on social policy.
External links
- Fifteenth Knesset: Government 29 Knesset website
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