Sixteenth government of Israel
Encyclopedia
The sixteenth government of Israel
was formed by Golda Meir
on 10 March 1974, following the December 1973 elections
. However, following Meir's resignation as Prime Minister on 11 April, it only remained in office until 3 June, and at just 85 days, was the shortest-lived government in Israeli political history.
Meir's coalition consisted of only three parties; the Alignment
, the National Religious Party
and the Independent Liberals
, although the two Israeli Arab Alignment-affiliated parties (Progress and Development
and the Arab List for Bedouins and Villagers
) had merged into the Alignment following the election, and held 68 of the 120 seats in the Knesset
. The government initially had 22 ministers, although Minister of Welfare Michael Hasani
resigned on 4 April and was not replaced. Nine of the ministers were non-Knesset members, although two of them (both from the Independent Liberals) had been elected to the Knesset in the recent election, but resigned after being appointed to the cabinet. Unlike the previous government
, in which there were nine deputy ministerial portfolios, the sixteeenth government had only one deputy minister, who was not appointed until 6 May.
Despite her government being praised for its administration, Meir resigned on 11 April 1974 after the Agranat Commission
had published its interim report on the Yom Kippur War
. The government remained in office whilst the Labor Party (the largest faction within the Alignment) elected a new leader who would attempt to form a new government. On 26 April Yitzhak Rabin
, then Minister of Labour, defeated Shimon Peres
, the Minister of Information, in the party's leadership contest. Rabin went on to form the seventeenth government
on 3 June 1974.
1 Although Gvati, Rosen, Shem-Tov and Uzan were not members of the Knesset at the time, they had previously been MKs for the Alignment.
2 Although Bar-Lev and Rabinovitz were not MKs at the time, they were later elected to the Knesset on the Alignment list.
3 Kol and Hausner had been elected to the Knesset on the Independent Liberals list, but resigned their seats after being appointed to the cabinet.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
was formed by 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....
on 10 March 1974, following the December 1973 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1973
The Elections for the eighth Knesset were held on 31 December 1973. Voter turnout was 78.6%.-Results:1 Aryeh Eliav left the Alignment and merged with Ratz to form Ya'ad - Civil Rights Movement...
. However, following Meir's resignation as Prime Minister on 11 April, it only remained in office until 3 June, and at just 85 days, was the shortest-lived government in Israeli political history.
Meir's coalition consisted of only three parties; the 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...
, the National Religious Party
National Religious Party
The National Religious Party ) was a political party in Israel representing the religious Zionist movement. Formed in 1956, at the time of its dissolution in 2008, it was the second oldest surviving party in the country after Agudat Yisrael, and was part of every government coalition until 1992...
and the Independent Liberals
Independent Liberals (Israel)
The Independent Liberals were a political party in Israel between the 1960s and 1980s.-History:The Independent Liberals party was formed during the fifth Knesset in the aftermath of the merger of the Liberal Party and Herut. Seven of the 17 Liberal Party MKs led by former Minister of Justice,...
, although the two Israeli Arab Alignment-affiliated parties (Progress and Development
Progress and Development
Progress and Development was a political party in Israel.-History:Progress and Development was an Israeli Arab organisation formed to fight the 1959 elections...
and the Arab List for Bedouins and Villagers
Arab List for Bedouins and Villagers
The Arab List for Bedouin and Villagers was an Israeli Arab political party in Israel.-Background:The party was created in the run-up to the 1973 elections as an Israeli Arab party associated with the governing Alignment...
) had merged into the Alignment following the election, and held 68 of the 120 seats in the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
. The government initially had 22 ministers, although Minister of Welfare Michael Hasani
Michael Hasani
Rabbi Ya'akov-Michael Hasani was an Israeli politician who served as Minister of Welfare during two spells in the early 1970s.-Biography:Born in Będzin in Poland , Hasani studied at a yeshiva and was certified as a rabbi. He made aliyah in 1932 and was involved in the Haganah.In 1951 he was...
resigned on 4 April and was not replaced. Nine of the ministers were non-Knesset members, although two of them (both from the Independent Liberals) had been elected to the Knesset in the recent election, but resigned after being appointed to the cabinet. Unlike the previous government
Fifteenth government of Israel
The fifteenth government of Israel was formed by Golda Meir on 15 December 1969 following the October elections. The government was a continuation of the national unity government formed during the previous Knesset, and consisted of the Alignment, Gahal, the National Religious Party, the...
, in which there were nine deputy ministerial portfolios, the sixteeenth government had only one deputy minister, who was not appointed until 6 May.
Despite her government being praised for its administration, Meir resigned on 11 April 1974 after the Agranat Commission
Agranat Commission
The Agranat Commission was a National Commision of Inquiry set up to investigate failings in the Israel Defense Forces in the prelude to the Yom Kippur War, when Israel was found unprepared for the Egyptian attack against the Bar Lev Line and a simultaneous attack by Syria in the Golan — the first...
had published its interim report on the Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
. The government remained in office whilst the Labor Party (the largest faction within the Alignment) elected a new leader who would attempt to form a new government. On 26 April Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin
' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995....
, then Minister of Labour, defeated Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres
GCMG is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Peres served twice as the eighth Prime Minister of Israel and once as Interim Prime Minister, and has been a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years...
, the Minister of Information, in the party's leadership contest. Rabin went on to form the seventeenth government
Seventeenth government of Israel
The seventeenth government of Israel was formed by Yitzhak Rabin on 3 June 1974, following the resignation of Prime Minister Golda Meir on 11 April and Rabin's election as Labor Party leader on 26 April...
on 3 June 1974.
Cabinet members
| Position | Person | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Prime Minister Prime 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.... |
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... |
| Deputy Prime Minister | 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... |
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... |
| Minister of Agriculture Agriculture Minister of Israel The Agriculture Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and a relatively minor position in the Israeli cabinet. Since 1992 the full title of the position has been the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development , the Development Ministry having been... |
Haim Gvati | Not an MK 1 |
| Minister of Communications Communications Minister of Israel The Communications Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Communications and a relatively minor position in the Israeli cabinet. The post was established in 1952, and until 1970 was known as the Minister of Postal Services... |
Aharon Uzan Aharon Uzan Aharon Uzan was an Israeli politician who held several ministerial portfolios between the mid-1960s and mid-1980s.-Biography:Uzan was born in Moknine in Tunisia, and was a member of the right-wing Betar movement in his youth. He made aliyah to Israel in 1949 and joined the left-wing Mapai party... |
Not an MK 1 |
| Minister of Defense | 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... |
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... |
| Minister of Development Development Minister of Israel The Ministry for the Development of the Negev and Galilee is a ministry in the Israeli government. Established in January 2005, the current minister is Silvan Shalom of Likud.In the past, there was also a Development Minister... |
Haim Bar-Lev | Not an MK 2 |
| Minister of Education and Culture | 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... |
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... |
| Minister of Finance | Pinhas Sapir | 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... |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs 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... |
Abba Eban Abba Eban Abba Eban was an Israeli diplomat and politician.In his career he was Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister, Education Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, and ambassador to the United States and to the United Nations... |
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... |
| Minister of Health Health Minister of Israel The Ministry of Health is a ministry in the Israeli government. The current Minister of Health is Binyamin Netanyahu of Likud.There is occasionally a Deputy Minister of Health... |
Victor Shem-Tov Victor Shem-Tov Victor Shem-Tov is a former Israeli politician who held several ministerial portfolios in the late 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:Born in Bulgaria to a family of Samokov goldsmiths, Shem-Tov mostly lived in the capital Sofia and was a member of the Maccabi Youth movement. He made aliyah in 1939, the... |
Not an MK 1 |
| Minister of Housing Housing and Construction Minister of Israel The Ministry of Housing and Construction is a portfolio in the Israeli cabinet. The ministry was created in 1961, and until 1977 it was known as the Ministry of Housing. Construction was also previously part of the Labour and Construction ministry during the provisional government between 1948 and... |
Yehoshua Rabinovitz Yehoshua Rabinovitz Yehoshua Rabinovitz was an Israeli politician who served as a government minister and mayor of Tel Aviv.-Biography:Born in Vishneva in the Russian Empire , Rabinovitz attended high school in Vilnius, and went on to train as a teacher in the same city. He worked as a teacher and headmaster, and was... |
Not an MK 2 |
| Minister of Immigrant Absorption | Shlomo Rosen Shlomo Rosen Shlomo Rosen was an Israeli politician and minister.Born in Moravská Ostrava in Austria-Hungary , Rosen made aliyah to Mandate Palestine in 1926. He joined kibbutz Sarid the following year. Between 1933 and 1935 he returned to Ostrava to serve as an emissary for Hashomer Hatzair... |
Not an MK 1 |
| Minister of Information | Shimon Peres Shimon Peres GCMG is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Peres served twice as the eighth Prime Minister of Israel and once as Interim Prime Minister, and has been a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years... |
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... |
| Minister of Internal Affairs | Yosef Burg Yosef Burg Yosef Shlomo Burg was an Israeli politician. In 1949, he was elected to the first Knesset, and served in many ministerial positions for the next 40 years. He was one of the founders of the National Religious Party.-Biography:... |
National Religious Party National Religious Party The National Religious Party ) was a political party in Israel representing the religious Zionist movement. Formed in 1956, at the time of its dissolution in 2008, it was the second oldest surviving party in the country after Agudat Yisrael, and was part of every government coalition until 1992... |
| Minister of Justice Justice Minister of Israel The Justice Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Justice and a position in the Israeli cabinet. The current minister is Ya'akov Ne'eman, an independent who is not a member of the Knesset.... |
Haim Yosef Zadok Haim Yosef Zadok -Early life:Zadok was born in 1913 in Rava-Ruska in Eastern Galicia in Austria-Hungary . He studied philosophy and Jewish studies at the University of Warsaw. He was a member of the Gordonia youth movement in Poland and in the "Poale Zion Federation" Party.In 1935 he immigrated to the British... |
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... |
| Minister of Labour Labour Minister of Israel The Labour Minister of Israel was the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Labour and a position in the Israeli cabinet. The post was established in 1948 as the Minister of Labour and Construction... |
Yitzhak Rabin Yitzhak Rabin ' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995.... |
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... |
| Minister of Police | Shlomo Hillel Shlomo Hillel Shlomo Hillel is an Iraqi-born Israeli diplomat and politician who served as Speaker of the Knesset, Minister of Police and Minister of Internal Affairs. He was also an ambassador to several countries in Africa.-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... |
| Minister of Religions | Yitzhak Rafael Yitzhak Rafael Yitzhak Rafael was an Israeli politician who served as Minister of Religions in the mid-1970s.-Biography:Rafael was born in Sabov in Galicia in 1914, and attended high school in Poland... |
National Religious Party National Religious Party The National Religious Party ) was a political party in Israel representing the religious Zionist movement. Formed in 1956, at the time of its dissolution in 2008, it was the second oldest surviving party in the country after Agudat Yisrael, and was part of every government coalition until 1992... |
| Minister of Tourism Tourism Minister of Israel The Tourism Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism and a relatively minor position in the Israeli cabinet. The position is currently held by Stas Misezhnikov of Yisrael Beiteinu.... |
Moshe Kol Moshe Kol Moshe Kol was a Zionist activist and Israeli politician and one of the signatories of the Israeli declaration of independence.-Biography:Born in Pinsk in the Russian Empire , Kol studied at a heder and Hebrew high school in his home town, and was one of the founders of HaOved HaTzioni youth... |
Not an MK 3 |
| Minister of Trade and Industry | Haim Bar-Lev | Not an MK 2 |
| Minister of Transportation | Aharon Yariv Aharon Yariv Aharon "Aharale" Rabinovich Yariv was an Israeli politician and soldier.Born in Moscow in the Soviet Union. When he was 15 he immigrated to Israel and studied at the Pardes Hanna Agricultural High School. Yariv began his military service in the Haganah and later the British Army. He then joined... |
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... |
| Minister of Welfare | Michael Hasani Michael Hasani Rabbi Ya'akov-Michael Hasani was an Israeli politician who served as Minister of Welfare during two spells in the early 1970s.-Biography:Born in Będzin in Poland , Hasani studied at a yeshiva and was certified as a rabbi. He made aliyah in 1932 and was involved in the Haganah.In 1951 he was... (until 4 April 1974) |
National Religious Party National Religious Party The National Religious Party ) was a political party in Israel representing the religious Zionist movement. Formed in 1956, at the time of its dissolution in 2008, it was the second oldest surviving party in the country after Agudat Yisrael, and was part of every government coalition until 1992... |
| Minister without Portfolio Minister without Portfolio A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry... |
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:... |
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... |
| Gideon Hausner Gideon Hausner Gideon Hausner was an Israeli jurist and politician. Between 1960 and 1963 he served as Attorney General, and was later elected to the Knesset and served in the cabinet.... |
Not an MK 3 | |
| Deputy Minister of Communications | Jabr Muadi Jabr Muadi Sheikh Jabr Muadi was a Druze Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for seven different parties between 1951 and 1981.-Biography:... (from 6 May 1974) |
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... |
1 Although Gvati, Rosen, Shem-Tov and Uzan were not members of the Knesset at the time, they had previously been MKs for the Alignment.
2 Although Bar-Lev and Rabinovitz were not MKs at the time, they were later elected to the Knesset on the Alignment list.
3 Kol and Hausner had been elected to the Knesset on the Independent Liberals list, but resigned their seats after being appointed to the cabinet.
External links
- Eighth Knesset: Government 16 Knesset website