Twenty-third government of Israel explained

Cabinet Name:Third Shamir Cabinet
Cabinet Number:23rd
Jurisdiction:Israel
Flag:Flag of Israel.svg
Flag Border:true
Government Head:Yitzhak Shamir
State Head:Chaim Herzog
Legislature Status:National Unity Government
Political Parties:Likud
Alignment (until 15 March 1990)
Shas
National Religious Party
Agudat Yisrael
Degel HaTorah
Previous:22nd Cabinet of Israel
Successor:24th Cabinet of Israel
Legislature Term:12th Knesset
Election:1988 Israeli legislative election
Opposition Leader:Shulamit Aloni

The twenty-third government of Israel was formed by Yitzhak Shamir of Likud on 22 December 1988, following the November 1988 elections. The government remained a national unity coalition between Likud and the Alignment, with the National Religious Party, Shas, Agudat Yisrael and Degel HaTorah also being members of the coalition. It was the first government to have a Minister of the Environment.

In 1990, after Shamir refused to accept a peace initiative developed by United States Secretary of State James Baker, the Alignment filed a motion of no-confidence in the government. Shamir fired all the Alignment ministers,[1] but the vote was passed by 60–55, meaning that President Chaim Herzog had to ask one of the party leaders to form a new government. It was the first, and to date, only time which a government was brought down by a no confidence motion. Herzog initially asked Alignment leader Shimon Peres to form a new government, but after Peres was unable to, turned to Shamir, who successfully formed the twenty-fourth government on 11 June. The incident became known as the dirty trick.

Cabinet members

PositionPersonParty
Prime MinisterYitzhak ShamirLikud
Acting Prime MinisterShimon Peres (until 15 March 1990)Alignment
Deputy Prime MinisterDavid LevyLikud
Yitzhak Navon (until 15 March 1990)Alignment
Minister of AgricultureAvraham Katz-Oz (until 15 March 1990)Alignment
Minister of CommunicationsGad Yaacobi (until 15 March 1990)Alignment
Minister of DefenseYitzhak Rabin (until 15 March 1990)Alignment
Minister of Economics and PlanningYitzhak Moda'iLikud
Minister of Education and CultureYitzhak Navon (until 15 March 1990)Alignment
Minister of Energy and InfrastructureMoshe Shahal (until 15 March 1990)Alignment
Minister of the EnvironmentRoni Milo (until 7 March 1990)Likud
Rafael Edri (7–15 March 1990)Alignment
Minister of FinanceShimon Peres (until 15 March 1990)Alignment
Minister of Foreign AffairsMoshe ArensLikud
Minister of HealthYa'akov Tzur (until 15 March 1990)Alignment
Minister of Housing and ConstructionDavid LevyLikud
Minister of Immigrant AbsorptionYitzhak PeretzShas
Minister of Industry and TradeAriel Sharon (until 20 February 1990)Likud
Moshe Nissim (from 20 February 1990)Likud
Minister of Internal AffairsAryeh DeriNot an MK 1
Minister of JusticeDan MeridorLikud
Yitzhak Shamir (until 7 March 1990)Likud
Roni Milo (from 7 March 1990)Likud
Minister of PoliceHaim Bar-Lev (until 15 March 1990)Alignment
Minister of Religious AffairsZevulun HammerNational Religious Party
Minister of Science and DevelopmentEzer Weizman (until 15 March 1990)
Minister of TourismAvraham SharirLikud
Minister of TransportationMoshe KatsavLikud
Minister without PortfolioRafael Edri (until 7 March 1990)Alignment
Moshe Nissim (until 7 March 1990)Likud
Mordechai Gur (until 15 March 1990)Alignment
Ehud OlmertLikud
Avner Shaki (from 27 December 1988)National Religious Party
David MagenLikud
Deputy Minister of FinanceYossi Beilin (until 15 March 1990)Alignment
Deputy Minister of Foreign AffairsBinyamin NetanyahuLikud
Deputy Minister of Internal AffairsRafael PinhasiShas
Deputy Minister of Labour and Social WelfareMoshe Ze'ev FeldmanAgudat Yisrael

1 Although Deri was not a Knesset member at the time, he was a member of Shas.

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE1D6123DF937A25750C0A966958260&scp=166&sq=peres+shamir&st=nyt Israeli Coalition Dissolves In Fight Over Peace Plan