Kitchen Cabinet of Israel
Encyclopedia
The Kitchen or The Kitchen Cabinet is a term used in Israel
i politics to describe the collection of senior officials, or unofficial advisers to the Security Cabinet
, as a narrow forum of 'Inner Security Cabinet', operating alongside the Security Cabinet, with the purpose of assisting it in formulating security assessments and policy, in preparation for debating and resolving these issues within the appropriate legal forums.
Golda Meir
's custom of calling such consultations on Shabbat
evenings at her home, in preparation for her full Cabinet
meetings the following day. Meir became known for her custom of serving the attendees with a cake that she had just baked, and thus the image of a debate around her kitchen table naturally arose. Also nicknamed "Golda's kitchen", it usually included Moshe Dayan
, Yigal Allon
, Yisrael Galili
, and Yaakov Shimshon Shapira
, who were accompanied with various senior officials whenever required.
The Kitchen attendees praised it as a preliminary assessment apparatus, while its opponents have claimed it to be a manner of overriding the official governmental bodies.
Benjamin Netanyahu
's first Cabinet, the twenty-seventh government, maintained such a forum which included: Netanyahu, Foreign Affairs Minister
David Levy
, and Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai
. The panel was nullified in 1997, after Ariel Sharon
's nomination for the Minister of Finance post was taken into consideration and he demanded that he joined the kitchen, after receiving this position, a demand which caused David Levy to quit the kitchen.
After David Levy quit the kitchen, the forum's activities were renewed in 1998, and it included Netanyahu, Mordechai, Sharon, and then Industry, Trade and Labour Minister
Natan Sharansky
(though intermittently, even David Levy). In January 1999, following a cabinet reshuffle in the Defense Ministry, Netanyahu announced that the Kitchen would be disbanded and replaced by a Ministers' team that included himself, Sharon, new Defense Minister Moshe Arens
, and the National Security Advisor
.
kitchen cabinet (also known as HaShviya, , lit. The Septenary) includes:
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i politics to describe the collection of senior officials, or unofficial advisers to the Security Cabinet
Security Cabinet of Israel
The Political-Security Cabinet or The Ministers Committee on Security Affairs is a narrow forum of 'Inner Cabinet' within the Israeli Cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister of Israel, with the purpose of outlining a foreign and defense policy and implementing it...
, as a narrow forum of 'Inner Security Cabinet', operating alongside the Security Cabinet, with the purpose of assisting it in formulating security assessments and policy, in preparation for debating and resolving these issues within the appropriate legal forums.
History
The first appearance of the term in Israel comes from the cooking activities associated with former Prime MinisterPrime Minister of Israel
The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel . The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem...
Golda Meir
Golda Meir
Golda Meir ; May 3, 1898 – December 8, 1978) was a teacher, kibbutznik and politician who became the fourth Prime Minister of the State of Israel....
's custom of calling such consultations on Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
evenings at her home, in preparation for her full Cabinet
Cabinet of Israel
The Cabinet of Israel is a formal body composed of government officials called ministers, chosen and led by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister must appoint members based on the distribution of votes to political parties during legislative elections, and its composition must be approved by a...
meetings the following day. Meir became known for her custom of serving the attendees with a cake that she had just baked, and thus the image of a debate around her kitchen table naturally arose. Also nicknamed "Golda's kitchen", it usually included Moshe Dayan
Moshe Dayan
Moshe Dayan was an Israeli military leader and politician. The fourth Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces , he became a fighting symbol to the world of the new State of Israel...
, Yigal Allon
Yigal Allon
Yigal Allon was an Israeli politician, a commander of the Palmach, and a general in the IDF. He served as one of the leaders of Ahdut HaAvoda party and the Israeli Labor party, and acting Prime Minister of Israel, and was a member of the Knesset and government minister from the 10th through the...
, Yisrael Galili
Yisrael Galili
Yisrael Galili was an Israeli politician, government minister and member of Knesset. Before Israel's independence in 1948, he had served as Chief of Staff of the Haganah.-Biography:...
, and Yaakov Shimshon Shapira
Yaakov Shimshon Shapira
-Biography:Shapira was born in Kirovograd in the Russian Empire in 1902. He studied in a Yeshiva and later studied medicine at the University of Kharkov. He was active in the Zionist socialist Movement and was incarcerated for his activism from 1923 to 1924...
, who were accompanied with various senior officials whenever required.
The Kitchen attendees praised it as a preliminary assessment apparatus, while its opponents have claimed it to be a manner of overriding the official governmental bodies.
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He serves also as the Chairman of the Likud Party, as a Knesset member, as the Health Minister of Israel, as the Pensioner Affairs Minister of Israel and as the Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.Netanyahu is the first and, to...
's first Cabinet, the twenty-seventh government, maintained such a forum which included: Netanyahu, Foreign Affairs Minister
Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel
The Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The position is one of the most important in the Israeli cabinet after Prime Minister and Defense Minister...
David Levy
David Levy (Israeli politician)
David Levy is an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset between 1969 and 2006, as well as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Immigrant Absorption, Minister of Housing & Construction and as a Minister without Portfolio...
, and Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai
Yitzhak Mordechai
Yitzhak Mordechai is an Israeli former general and politician. He served as a member of the Knesset between 1996 and 2001, and as Minister of Defense and Minister of Transport. He retired from political life after being indicted for sexual assaults during his military service and later...
. The panel was nullified in 1997, after Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
's nomination for the Minister of Finance post was taken into consideration and he demanded that he joined the kitchen, after receiving this position, a demand which caused David Levy to quit the kitchen.
After David Levy quit the kitchen, the forum's activities were renewed in 1998, and it included Netanyahu, Mordechai, Sharon, and then Industry, Trade and Labour Minister
Industry, Trade and Labour Minister of Israel
The Industry, Trade and Labour Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labour and a position in the Israeli cabinet....
Natan Sharansky
Natan Sharansky
Natan Sharansky was born in Stalino, Soviet Union on 20 January 1948 to a Jewish family. He graduated with a degree in applied mathematics from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. As a child, he was a chess prodigy. He performed in simultaneous and blindfold displays, usually against...
(though intermittently, even David Levy). In January 1999, following a cabinet reshuffle in the Defense Ministry, Netanyahu announced that the Kitchen would be disbanded and replaced by a Ministers' team that included himself, Sharon, new Defense Minister Moshe Arens
Moshe Arens
Moshe Arens is an Israeli aeronautical engineer, researcher and former diplomat and politician. A member of the Knesset between 1973 and 1992 and again from 1999 until 2003, he served as Minister of Defense three times and once as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Arens has also served as the Israeli...
, and the National Security Advisor
Israeli National Security Council
The Israeli National Security Council is Israel's central body for coordination, integration, analysis and monitoring in the field of national security and is the staff forum on national security for the Israeli Prime Minister and Government. However, national security decisions typically made by...
.
Members
As of 2009, the Netanyahu government'sCabinet of Israel
The Cabinet of Israel is a formal body composed of government officials called ministers, chosen and led by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister must appoint members based on the distribution of votes to political parties during legislative elections, and its composition must be approved by a...
kitchen cabinet (also known as HaShviya, , lit. The Septenary) includes:
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister
- Avigdor Lieberman, Minister of Foreign AffairsForeign Affairs Minister of IsraelThe Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The position is one of the most important in the Israeli cabinet after Prime Minister and Defense Minister...
and Deputy Prime Minister - Ehud BarakEhud BarakEhud Barak is an Israeli politician who served as Prime Minister from 1999 until 2001. He was leader of the Labor Party until January 2011 and holds the posts of Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister in Binyamin Netanyahu's government....
, Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister - Benny Begin, Minister without portfolioMinister without PortfolioA minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
- Dan MeridorDan MeridorDan Meridor is an Israeli politician and minister. A longtime member of the Likud party, in the late 1990s he became one of the founders of the Centre Party. He rejoined Likud in the early 2000s, and returned to the Knesset following the 2009 elections...
Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy and Deputy Prime Minister - Binyamin Ben-EliezerBinyamin Ben-EliezerBinyamin Fuad Ben-Eliezer , , born 12 February 1936) is an Israeli politician and former military officer of Iraqi origin. He currently serves as a member of the Knesset for the Labor Party, and has held several ministerial posts, including Minister of Industry, Trade and Labour, Minister of...
, Industry, Trade and Labour MinisterIndustry, Trade and Labour Minister of IsraelThe Industry, Trade and Labour Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labour and a position in the Israeli cabinet.... - Moshe Ya'alonMoshe Ya'alonMoshe "Bogie" Ya'alon is an Israeli politician and former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces. He currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Likud, as well as the country's Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Strategic Affairs.-Early life:...
, Minister of Strategic AffairsStrategic Affairs Minister of IsraelThe Strategic Affairs Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Strategic Affairs and a member of the cabinet. The portfolio and ministry was created in 2006 for Avigdor Lieberman, whose Yisrael Beiteinu party had just joined the governing coalition...
and Vice Prime Minister