Prime Minister of Israel

In its foundation, the State of Israel adopted the parliamentary political system, with a 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

de:Liste der israelischen Premierminister es:Primer ministro de Israel eo:Ĉefministroj de Israelo fr:Premier ministre d'Israël he:ראש ממשלת ישראל nl:Premier van Israël


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