The Science and Technology Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

i Ministry of Science and Technology and a relatively minor position in the Israeli 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...

. The current minister is Daniel Hershkowitz

Daniel Hershkowitz

Rabbi Professor Daniel Hershkowitz is an Israeli politician, mathematician and rabbi. In 2009 he was elected to the Knesset as the leader of The Jewish Home, and was appointed Minister of Science and Technology....

 of The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home

-External links:*...

 party. Raleb Majadele

Raleb Majadele

Ghaleb Majadele is an Israeli Arab politician. A member of the Knesset for the Labor Party, he became the country's first Muslim minister when appointed Minister without Portfolio on 28 January 2007.-Biography:...

, who held the post between 2006 and 2009, was the country's first Muslim

Muslim

A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

 minister.

The minister is responsible for defining national policy on issues related to Science and technology in Israel

Science and technology in Israel

Science and technology in Israel is one of the country's most developed sectors. The percentage of Israelis engaged in scientific and technological inquiry, and the amount spent on research and development in relation to gross domestic product , is amongst the highest in the world...

, and promoting scientific and technological research, infrastructure and projects.

The post has undergone several name changes:

• 1982–84: Minister of Science and Development
• 1984–88: Minister of Science and Technology
• 1988–93: Minister of Science and Development
• 1993–96: Minister of Science and the Arts
• 1996–97: Minister of Science
• 1997–99: Minister of Science and Technology
• 1999: Minister of Science
• 1999-02: Minister of Science, Culture and Sport
• 2003–04: Minister of Science and Technology
• 2006–09: Minister of Science, Culture and Sport
• 2009–present: Minister of Science and Technology

Between 1949 and 1999, and again from 2003 until 2006, culture was included in the portfolio of the Education Minister. Similarly, sport was part of the Education Minister's portfolio between 1994 and 1999 and 2003 and 2006. With the creation of 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 government in March 2009, the culture and sports portfolios were separated from the Ministry of Science and Technology and transferred to the Ministry of Culture and Sport

Culture and Sport Minister of Israel

The Culture and Sport Minister of Israel is a new and relatively minor position in the Israeli cabinet. Previously culture and sport had been part of other ministerial portfolios; between 1949 and 1999, and again from 2003 until 2006, culture was part of the Education Minister portfolio. Similarly,...

.

The position of Deputy Minister of Science and Technology has been filled once, in 1990–1991.

List of ministers

Minister	Party	Government(s)	Dates in Office
Yuval Ne'eman Yuval Ne'eman Yuval Ne'eman , was a renowned Israeli theoretical physicist, military scientist, and politician. He was a minister in the Israeli government in the 1980s and early 1990s.-Biography:...	Likud Likud Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...	19, 20	26 July 1982 – 13 September 1984
Gideon Patt Gideon Patt Gideon Patt is a former Israeli politician who served in several ministerial positions between the late 1970s and early 1980s.-Biography:Born in Jerusalem during the Mandate era, Patt served in the Nahal brigade and studied economics at New York University, gaining a BA.For the 1969 elections he...	Likud Likud Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...	21, 22	13 September 1984 – 22 December 1988
Ezer Weizman Ezer Weizman ' was the seventh President of Israel, first elected in 1993 and re-elected in 1998. Before the presidency, Weizman was commander of the Israeli Air Force and Minister of Defense.-Biography:...	Alignment Alignment (political party) The Alignment was an alliance of the major left-wing parties in Israel between the 1960s and 1990s. It was established in 1965 as an alliance of Mapai and Ahdut HaAvoda but was dissolved three years later when the two parties and Rafi formally merged into the Israeli Labor Party...	23	22 December 1988 – 15 March 1990
Yuval Ne'eman Yuval Ne'eman Yuval Ne'eman , was a renowned Israeli theoretical physicist, military scientist, and politician. He was a minister in the Israeli government in the 1980s and early 1990s.-Biography:...	Likud Likud Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...	24	11 June 1990 – 21 January 1992
Amnon Rubinstein Amnon Rubinstein Amnon Rubinstein is an Israeli law scholar, politician, and columnist. A member of the Knesset between 1977 and 2002, he served in several ministerial positions. He is currently dean of the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya and a patron of Liberal International.-Early life:Rubinstein was born...	Meretz	25	13 July 1992 – 31 December 1992
Shimon Sheetrit Shimon Sheetrit Prof. Shimon Shetreet is a former Israeli politician who held several ministerial portfolios between 1992 and 1996.-Biography:Born in Erfoud in Morocco, Shetreet's family made aliyah to Israel in 1949. He studied law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, gaining an LLB and LLM...	Labour	25	13 July 1992 – 7 June 1993
Shulamit Aloni Shulamit Aloni Shulamit Aloni is an Israeli politician and left-wing activist. She is a prominent member of the Israeli peace camp, founded the Ratz party and was leader of the Meretz party and served as Minister of Education from 1992 to 1993.-Biography:...	Meretz	26, 26	7 June 1993 – 18 June 1996
Benny Begin	Likud Likud Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...	27	18 June 1996 – 16 January 1997
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...	Likud Likud Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...	27	18 June 1996 – 9 July 1997
Michael Eitan Michael Eitan Michael Eitan is an Israeli politician, Minister of Improvement of Government Services and member of the Knesset for Likud. He served as Minister of Science & Technology between July 1997 and July 1998. Alongside Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Eitan is the joint longest-serving MK, and as such was...	Likud Likud Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...	27	9 July 1997 – 13 July 1998
Silvan Shalom Silvan Shalom ' , born 4 October 1958) is an Israeli politician, member of the Knesset for Likud and the country's Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Regional Development. He previously served as the country's Foreign Minister and Finance Minister.-Biography:...	Likud Likud Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...	27	13 July 1998 – 6 July 1999
Ehud Barak Ehud Barak Ehud 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....	One Israel One Israel One Israel was an alliance of the Labor Party, Meimad and Gesher created to run for the 1999 Knesset elections.-Background:One Israel was formed by Labor leader Ehud Barak in the run-up to the 1999 elections with the aim of making Labor appear more centrist and to reduce its secularist and elitist...	28	6 July 1999 – 5 August 1999
Matan Vilnai Matan Vilnai Matan Vilnai is an Israeli politician and a former Major General in the Israel Defense Forces . He is currently Minister for Home Front Defense and a member of the Knesset for Independence.-Biography:...	One Israel One Israel One Israel was an alliance of the Labor Party, Meimad and Gesher created to run for the 1999 Knesset elections.-Background:One Israel was formed by Labor leader Ehud Barak in the run-up to the 1999 elections with the aim of making Labor appear more centrist and to reduce its secularist and elitist... , Labour	28, 29	5 August 1999 – 2 November 2002
Eliezer Sandberg Eliezer Sandberg Eliezer Sandberg is a former Israeli politician who served as a government minister between 2003 and 2004.-Biography:Born in Haifa, Sandberg studied law at Tel Aviv University, gaining an LLB. He joined the Tzomet party, and became a member of its secretariat in 1988. He also served as the party's...	Shinui Shinui Shinui is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical free market liberal party and political movement in Israel. The party twice became the third largest in the Knesset, but both occasions were followed by a split and collapse; in 1977 the party won 15 seats as part of the Democratic Movement for...	30	28 February 2003 – 19 July 2004
Ilan Shalgi Ilan Shalgi Ilan Shalgi is an Israeli lawyer, politician and a former member of the Knesset.-Background:After his national service in the IDF, in which he served as a lieutenant-colonel, Shalgi gained an LLB and an MA in law from Tel Aviv University...	Shinui Shinui Shinui is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical free market liberal party and political movement in Israel. The party twice became the third largest in the Knesset, but both occasions were followed by a split and collapse; in 1977 the party won 15 seats as part of the Democratic Movement for...	30	24 July 2004 – 29 November 2004
Victor Brailovsky Victor Brailovsky Dr Victor Brailovsky is a computer scientist, aliyah activist and a former Israeli politician. He served as Minister of Science and Technology for six days in 2004. In May 1986 Brailovsky was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree from the Open University in England.-Biography:Brailovsky was born in...	Shinui Shinui Shinui is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical free market liberal party and political movement in Israel. The party twice became the third largest in the Knesset, but both occasions were followed by a split and collapse; in 1977 the party won 15 seats as part of the Democratic Movement for...	30	29 November 2004 – 4 December 2004
Matan Vilnai Matan Vilnai Matan Vilnai is an Israeli politician and a former Major General in the Israel Defense Forces . He is currently Minister for Home Front Defense and a member of the Knesset for Independence.-Biography:...	Labour	30	28 August 2005 – 23 November 2005 ¹
Roni Bar-On Roni Bar-On Roni Bar-On is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Kadima and is a former Minister of Finance.-Biography:...	Kadima Kadima Kadima is a centrist and liberal political party in Israel. It was established on 24 November 2005 by moderates from Likud largely to support the issue of Ariel Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan, and was soon joined by like-minded Labor politicians...	30	18 January 2006 – 4 May 2006
Ophir Pines-Paz Ophir Pines-Paz Ophir Pines-Paz is an Israeli former politician who served as Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister of Science, Culture & Sport and as a member of the Knesset for the Labor Party from 1996 until 2010.-Biography:...	Labour	31	4 May 2006 – 1 November 2006
Yuli Tamir Yuli Tamir Yael "Yuli" Tamir is an Israeli academic and former politician who served as a member of the Knesset for the Labor Party between 2003 and 2010, and as Minister of Immigrant Absorption and Education.-Biography:...	Labour	31	5 November 2006 – 21 March 2007 (acting)
Raleb Majadele Raleb Majadele Ghaleb Majadele is an Israeli Arab politician. A member of the Knesset for the Labor Party, he became the country's first Muslim minister when appointed Minister without Portfolio on 28 January 2007.-Biography:...	Labour	31	21 March 2007 – 31 March 2009
Daniel Hershkowitz Daniel Hershkowitz Rabbi Professor Daniel Hershkowitz is an Israeli politician, mathematician and rabbi. In 2009 he was elected to the Knesset as the leader of The Jewish Home, and was appointed Minister of Science and Technology....	The Jewish Home The Jewish Home -External links:*...	32	31 March 2009 – present

¹ Vilnai was initially appointed acting minister. His appointment was made permanent on 7 November.

Deputy Ministers

Minister	Party	Government(s)	Dates in Office
Geula Cohen Geula Cohen Geulah Cohen is an Israeli former Irgun and Lehi member, politician, and journalist.-Biography:Geulah Cohen was born in Tel Aviv during the British Mandate of Palestine...	Tehiya Tehiya Tehiya , originally known as Banai , then Tehiya-Bnai , was a small right-wing political party in Israel that existed from 1979 until 1992...	24	25 June 1990 – 31 October 1991

External links

• Ministry of Science, Culture and Sport
• All Ministers in the Ministry of Science Knesset website