Thirtieth government of Israel explained

Cabinet Name:Second Sharon Cabinet
Cabinet Number:30th
Jurisdiction:Israel
Flag:Flag of Israel.svg
Flag Border:true
Government Head:Ariel Sharon (de facto until 4 January 2006)
Ehud Olmert (de facto after 4 January 2006)
State Head:Moshe Katsav
Legislature Status:Coalition government
Political Parties:Likud (until 15 January 2006)
Kadima
Labor-Meimad (10 January–25 November 2005)
Shinui (until 4 December 2004)
National Union (until 6 June 2004)
Successor:31st cabinet of Israel
Opposition Leader:Amram Mitzna (until 11 May 2003)
Dalia Itzik (until 19 June 2003)
Shimon Peres (until 9 January 2005)
Tommy Lapid (until 22 November 2005)
Amir Peretz (until 3 May 2006)
Opposition Cabinet:Shadow Cabinet of Tommy Lapid

The thirtieth government of Israel was formed by Ariel Sharon on 28 February 2003, following Likud's comprehensive victory in the January elections. His coalition initially included Shinui and the National Union, holding 60 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, whilst the two-seat Yisrael BaAliyah merged into Likud shortly after. The National Religious Party also joined the coalition on 3 March 2003, taking the number of seats it held up to 66. The parties formed a center-right coalition.[1] [2]

The government became increasingly unstable due to the Gaza disengagement plan, with the National Union leaving the coalition on 6 June 2004, and the National Religious Party following on 11 November. On 4 December Shinui also left the government following disagreements over the budget.[3] On 10 January 2005, LaborMeimad joined the government, and was joined by Agudat Yisrael on 30 March.

On 23 November 2005 Sharon and several other ministers left Likud to establish Kadima (initially known as National Responsibility), remaining in control of the government. Although Labor-Meimad left the government on the same day, Sharon remained in control until suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006, at which point Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert took temporary control. Although Likud left the government on 15 January, Olmert became Interim Prime Minister on 16 April, and remained head of the government until he formed the thirty-first government on 4 May 2006, following Kadima's victory in the March elections.

Election Name:Israeli government formation, 2003
Country:Israel
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Year:2001
Next Year:2006
Election Date:28 February 2003
1Blank:Investiture vote - In favor
2Blank:Investiture vote - Against
3Blank:Investiture vote - Abstain
Nominee1:Ariel Sharon
Party1:Likud
Electoral Vote1:66
Percentage1:55.0%
Nominee2:Amram Mitzna
Party2:Israeli Labor Party
Electoral Vote2:54
Percentage2:45.0%
Prime Minister
Before Election:Ariel Sharon
Before Party:Likud
After Election:Ariel Sharon
After Party:Likud

Cabinet members

PositionPersonParty
Prime MinisterAriel Sharon (until 16 April 2006)Likud, Kadima
Ehud Olmert (interim from 16 April 2006)Kadima
Vice Prime MinisterShimon Peres (10 January - 23 November 2005)Labor-Meimad
Acting Prime MinisterEhud Olmert (until 16 April 2006)Likud, Kadima
Deputy Prime MinisterTommy Lapid (until 4 December 2004)Shinui
Silvan Shalom (until 15 January 2006)Likud
Minister of AgricultureYisrael Katz (until 14 January 2006)Likud
Ze'ev Boim (from 18 January 2006)Kadima
Minister of CommunicationsAriel Sharon (until 17 August 2003)Likud
Ehud Olmert (29 September 2003 - 10 January 2005)Likud
Dalia Itzik (10 January - 23 November 2005)Labor-Meimad
Avraham Hirschson (from 18 January 2006)Kadima
Minister of DefenseShaul MofazNot an MK
Minister of Education, Culture and SportLimor Livnat (until 14 January 2006)Likud
Meir Sheetrit (from 18 January 2006)Kadima
Minister of the EnvironmentYehudit Naot (until 17 October 2004)Shinui
Ilan Shalgi (29 November 2004 - 4 December 2005)Shinui
Shalom Simhon (10 January - 23 November 2005)Labor-Meimad
Gideon Ezra (from 18 January 2006)Kadima
Minister of FinanceBinyamin Netanyahu (until 9 August 2005)Likud
Ehud Olmert (from 7 November 2005)Likud, Kadima
Minister in the Finance MinistryMeir Sheetrit (until 5 July 2004)Likud
Minister of Foreign AffairsSilvan Shalom (until 15 January 2006)Likud
Tzipi Livni (from 18 January 2006)Kadima
Minister of HealthDan Naveh (until 14 January 2006)Likud
Ya'akov Edri (from 18 January 2006)Kadima
Minister of Housing and ConstructionEffi Eitam (3 March 2003 - 10 June 2004)National Religious Party
Tzipi Livni (31 August 2004 - 10 January 2005)Likud
Isaac Herzog (10 January - 23 November 2005)Labor-Meimad
Ze'ev Boim (from 18 January 2006)Kadima
Minister of Immigrant AbsorptionTzipi LivniLikud, Kadima
Minister of Industry, Trade and LabourEhud OlmertLikud, Kadima
Minister of Internal AffairsAvraham Poraz (until 4 December 2004)Shinui
Ophir Pines-Paz (10 January - 23 November 2005)Labor-Meimad
Minister of Internal SecurityTzachi Hanegbi (until 6 September 2004)Likud
Gideon Ezra (from 29 November 2004)Likud, Kadima
Minister of Jerusalem AffairsNatan Sharansky (3 March 2003 - 4 May 2005)Not an MK 1
Minister of JusticeTommy Lapid (until 4 December 2004)Shinui
Tzipi Livni (from 10 January 2005)Likud, Kadima
Minister of National InfrastructureYosef Paritzky (until 13 July 2004)Shinui
Eliezer Sandberg (19 July - 4 December 2004)Shinui
Labor-Meimad
Roni Bar-On (from 18 January 2006)Kadima
Minister of Religious AffairsAriel Sharon (until 31 December 2003)Likud
Minister of Science, Culture and SportEliezer Sandberg (until 19 July 2004)Shinui
Ilan Shalgi (24 July - 29 November 2004)Shinui
Victor Brailovsky (29 November - 4 December 2004)Shinui
Matan Vilnai (7–23 November 2005)Labor-Meimad
Roni Bar-On (from 18 January 2006)Kadima
Minister of TourismBenny Elon (until 6 June 2004)National Union
Gideon Ezra (31 August 2004 - 10 January 2005)Likud
Avraham Hirschson (from 10 January 2005)Likud, Kadima
Minister of TransportationAvigdor Lieberman (until 6 June 2004)National Union
Meir Sheetrit (from 31 August 2004)Likud, Kadima
Minister of Welfare and Social ServicesZevulun Orlev (3 March 2003 - 11 November 2004)National Religious Party
Minister in the Prime Minister's OfficeGideon Ezra (until 31 August 2004)Likud
Uzi Landau (until 26 October 2004)Likud
Tzachi Hanegbi (from 6 September 2004)Likud, Kadima
Matan Vilnai (12 January - 28 August 2005)Labor-Meimad
Minister without PortfolioHaim Ramon (10 January - 23 November 2005)Labor-Meimad

1 Although Sharansky was not an MK at the time of his appointment, he had been elected to the Knesset on the Yisrael BaAliyah list.

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna6237299 Israeli parliament OKs Sharon pullout plan
  2. https://en.idi.org.il/articles/27116 Unity Coalition Governments: Explainer
  3. https://www.knesset.gov.il/history/eng/eng_hist16_s.htm Factional and Government Make-Up of the Sixteenth Knesset