Fifteenth government of Israel explained

Cabinet Name:Second Meir Cabinet
Cabinet Number:15th
Jurisdiction:Israel
Flag:Flag of Israel.svg
Flag Border:true
Government Head:Golda Meir
State Head:Zalman Shazar (until 1973)
Ephraim Katzir (from 1973)
Legislature Status:Coalition
Political Parties:Alignment
Gahal (until August 1970)
National Religious Party
Progress and Development
Independent Liberals
Cooperation and Brotherhood
Previous:14th Cabinet of Israel
Successor:16th Cabinet of Israel
Legislature Term:7th Knesset
Election:1969 Israeli legislative election
Opposition Leader:Yitzhak-Meir Levin (until 1970)
Menachem Begin (from 1970)

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 Independent Liberals and the Israeli Arab parties Progress and Development and Cooperation and Brotherhood. Gahal left the coalition in early August 1970 after the government agreed to accept the Rogers Plan.[1]

The government remained in place until 10 March 1974, when the sixteenth government took power following the December 1973 elections. It is notable for being the first government to last a full four-year Knesset term, and the first to include any non-Jewish members; On 24 May 1971 Meir appointed Abd el-Aziz el-Zoubi as Deputy Minister of Health, making him the first Israeli Arab to join the cabinet. In November that year, Druze MK Jabr Muadi also joined the cabinet as Deputy Minister of Communications.

Election Name:Israeli government formation, December 1969
Country:Israel
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Year:March 1969
Next Year:March 1974
Election Date:15 December 1969
1Blank:Investiture vote - In favor
2Blank:Investiture vote - Against
3Blank:Investiture vote - Abstain
Nominee1:Golda Meir
Party1:Alignment (Israel)
Electoral Vote1:102
Percentage1:85.0%
Nominee2:Yitzhak-Meir Levin
Party2:Agudat Yisrael
Electoral Vote2:18
Percentage2:15.0%
Prime Minister
Before Party:Alignment (Israel)
After Election:Golda Meir
After Party:Alignment (Israel)

Cabinet members

PositionPersonParty
Prime MinisterGolda MeirAlignment
Deputy Prime MinisterYigal AllonAlignment
Minister of AgricultureHaim GvatiAlignment
Minister of CommunicationsElimelekh Rimalt (until 6 August 1970)Gahal
Shimon Peres (from 1 September 1970)Alignment
Minister of DefenseMoshe DayanAlignment
Minister of DevelopmentHaim Landau (until 6 August 1970)Gahal
Haim Gvati (from 6 August 1970)Alignment
Minister of Education and CultureYigal AllonAlignment
Minister of FinancePinhas SapirAlignment
Minister of Foreign AffairsAbba EbanAlignment
Minister of HealthHaim Gvati (until 27 July 1970)Alignment
Victor Shem-Tov (from 27 July 1970)Not an MK 1
Minister of HousingZe'ev SherfAlignment
Minister of Immigrant
Absorption
Shimon Peres (until 27 July 1970)Alignment
Natan Peled (from 27 July 1970)Not an MK 1
Minister of Internal AffairsHaim-Moshe Shapira (until 16 July 1970) 2National Religious Party
Yosef Burg (from 16 July 1970) Not an MK 3
Minister of JusticeYaakov Shimshon Shapira 4Alignment
Minister of LabourYosef AlmogiAlignment
Minister of PoliceShlomo HillelAlignment
Minister of ReligionsZerach WarhaftigNot an MK 3
Minister of TourismMoshe KolNot an MK 5
Minister of Trade and IndustryYosef Sapir (until 6 August 1970)Gahal
Pinhas Sapir (1 September 1970 – 5 March 1972)Alignment
Haim Bar-Lev (from 5 March 1972)Not an MK 6
Minister of TransportationEzer Weizman (until 6 August 1970)Not an MK 7
Shimon Peres (from 1 September 1970)Alignment
Minister of WelfareYosef Burg (until 1 September 1970)Not an MK 3
Michael Hasani (from 1 September 1970)National Religious Party
Minister without PortfolioShimon Peres (until 22 December 1969)
Alignment
Yisrael Barzilai (until 12 June 1970) 2Not an MK 1
Victor Shem-TovNot an MK 1
Menachem Begin (until 6 August 1970)Gahal
Aryeh Dolchin (until 6 August 1970)Not an MK 7
Yisrael GaliliAlignment
Deputy Minister of AgricultureBen-Zion HalfonAlignment
Deputy Minister of CommunicationsJabr Muadi (from 27 October 1971)Progress and Development
Deputy Minister of Education and CultureMichael Hasani (until 1 September 1970)National Religious Party
Aharon Yadlin (until 26 July 1972)Alignment
Avner Shaki (1 September 1970 – 17 July 1972)National Religious Party
Zevulun Hammer (from 16 January 1973) National Religious Party
Deputy Minister of FinanceZvi DinsteinAlignment
Deputy Minister of HealthAbd el-Aziz el-Zoubi (24 May 1971 – 14 February 1974) 2Alignment
Deputy Minister of Immigrant AbsorptionShlomo Rosen (from 20 November 1972)Alignment
Deputy Minister of Internal AffairsYosef Goldschmidt 8National Religious Party
Deputy Minister of TourismYehuda Sha'ariIndependent Liberals
Deputy Minister of TransportationGad Yaacobi (from 2 November 1972)Alignment

1 Although Barzilai, Shem-Tov, Peled were not MKs at the time all had previously been MKs for Mapam, one of the constituents of the Alignment.

2 Died in office.

3 All National Religious Party MKs except Haim-Moshe Shapira and Michael Hasani resigned from the Knesset upon being appointed to the cabinet.

4 Yaakov-Shimshon Shapira was out of office between 13 June and 12 September 1972.

5 All Independent Liberal MKs resigned from the Knesset upon being appointed to the cabinet.

6 Bar-Lev was later an MK for the Alignment.

7 Dolchin and Weizman were Gahal members.

8 Goldschmidt was out of office between 16 and 19 July 1970.

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Gahal Faction Resigns From Israeli Government Coalition Over Acceptance of U.S. Peace Proposal. 1970-08-04. The New York Times. 2018-06-02. en-US. 0362-4331.