Online Encyclopedia
Prime Minister of Israel
Prime minister of Israel . the State of Israel in its foundation adopted the parliamentary political system, with Prime minister at the top of the government and a largely ceremonial president as head of State. In past years, with the introduction of the direct elections to Prime minister, the role of the Prime minister has increased because a government can exist with minority coalition in the parliament, Knesset. However this trend has fragmented excessively the political system, and a return to old vote system has been approved(2001, taking effect from 2003 on).
Prime Ministers of Israel (1948-Present)
A total of eleven people have served as Prime Minister of Israel. Four of those people have served on two non-consecutive occasions.
Name | Took Office | Left Office | Party | |
1 | David Ben-Gurion, 1st time | 1948 | 1954 | Mapai |
2 | Moshe Sharett | 1954 | 1955 | Mapai |
David Ben-Gurion, 2nd time | 1955 | 1963 | Mapai | |
3 | Levi Eshkol | 1963 | 1969 | Mapai* |
4 | Golda Meir | 1969 | 1974 | Labour Party |
5 | Yitzhak Rabin, 1st time | 1974 | 1977 | Labour Party |
6 | Menachem Begin | 1977 | 1983 | Likud |
7 | Yitzhak Shamir, 1st time | 1983 | 1984 | Likud |
8 | Shimon Peres, 1st time | 1984 | 1986 | Labour Party |
Yitzhak Shamir, 2nd time | 1986 | 1992 | Likud | |
Yitzhak Rabin, 2nd time | 1992 | 1995 (assassinated while in office) | Labour Party | |
Shimon Peres, 2nd time | 1995 | 1996 | Labour Party | |
9 | Benjamin Netanyahu | 1996 | 1999 | Likud |
10 | Ehud Barak | 1999 | 2001 | Labour Party |
11 | Ariel Sharon | 2001 | (present) | Likud |
(*)In 1968 Mapai merged with other parties to form the Labour Alignment (now the Israeli Labour Party) See also: Politics of Israel
External link
- Site of the Prime Minister's office of Israel (English)
- Site of the Prime Minister's office of Israel (Main Page)