Thirty-first government of Israel

2006–2009 government led by Ehud Olmert
Olmert cabinet

31st Cabinet of Israel
Date formed4 May 2006
Date dissolved31 March 2009
People and organisations
Head of stateMoshe Katsav (until 1 July 2007)
Shimon Peres (since 1 July 2007)
Head of governmentEhud Olmert
Member partyKadima
Labor
Shas
Gil
Yisrael Beiteinu (November 2006–16 January 2008)
Status in legislatureCoalition government
Opposition partyLikud
Opposition leaderBinyamin Netanyahu
History
Election(s)2006
Legislature term(s)17th Knesset
PredecessorThirtieth government
Successorthirty-second government
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The thirty-first government of Israel was formed by Ehud Olmert on 4 May 2006, following Kadima's victory in the March elections. His coalition initially included Labor, Shas and Gil,[1] and held 67 of the 120 seats in the Knesset. The 11-seat Yisrael Beiteinu joined the coalition in November 2006, but left on 16 January 2008 in protest at peace talks with the Palestinian National Authority.[2] With the inclusion of the Labor Party's Raleb Majadele as a Minister without Portfolio on 29 January 2007, it became the first Israeli cabinet to have a Muslim minister.[3] The makeup of the coalition resulted in a center-left government.[4][5]

The government held office until Benjamin Netanyahu formed the thirty-second government on 31 March 2009, following elections the month before.

Cabinet members

Position Person Party
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Kadima
Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres (until 13 June 2007)1 Kadima
Haim Ramon Kadima
Acting Prime Minister Tzipi Livni Kadima
Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Barak (from 18 June 2007)2 Labor Party
Avigdor Lieberman (30 October 2006 – 18 January 2008) Yisrael Beiteinu
Shaul Mofaz Kadima
Amir Peretz (until 18 June 2007)2 Labor Party
Eli Yishai Shas
Minister of Agriculture Shalom Simhon Labor Party
Minister of Communications Ariel Atias Shas
Minister of Defense Amir Peretz (until 18 June 2007)2 Labor Party
Ehud Barak (from 18 June 2007)2 Labor Party
Minister of Development of the Negev and Galilee Shimon Peres (until 13 June 2007)1 Kadima
Ya'akov Edri (from 4 July 2007) Kadima
Minister of Diaspora, Society and the fight against Anti-semitism Isaac Herzog (from 21 March 2007) Labor Party
Minister of Education, Culture and Sport Yuli Tamir Labor Party
Minister of the Environment Gideon Ezra Kadima
Minister of Finance Avraham Hirschson (until 3 July 2007) Kadima
Roni Bar-On (from 4 July 2007) Kadima
Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni Kadima
Minister of Health Ya'akov Ben-Yezri Gil
Minister of Housing and Construction Meir Sheetrit (until 4 July 2007) Kadima
Ze'ev Boim (from 4 July 2007) Kadima
Minister of Immigrant Absorption Ze'ev Boim (until 4 July 2007) Kadima
Ya'akov Edri (4 July 2007 – 14 July 2008) Kadima
Eli Aflalo (from 14 July 2008) Kadima
Minister of Industry, Trade and Labour Eli Yishai Shas
Minister of Internal Affairs Roni Bar-On (until 4 July 2007) Kadima
Meir Sheetrit (from 4 July 2007) Kadima
Minister of Internal Security Avi Dichter Kadima
Minister of Justice Haim Ramon (until 22 August 2006) Kadima
Tzipi Livni (29 November 2006 – 7 February 2007) Kadima
Daniel Friedmann Not an MK
Minister of National Infrastructure Binyamin Ben-Eliezer Labor Party
Minister of Pensioner Affairs Rafi Eitan Gil
Minister of Religious Affairs Yitzhak Cohen (from 14 January 2008) Shas
Minister of Science, Culture and Sport Ophir Pines-Paz (until 1 November 2006)3 Labor Party
Raleb Majadele (from 21 March 2007) Labor Party
Minister of Strategic Affairs Avigdor Lieberman (30 October 2006 – 18 January 2008) Yisrael Beiteinu
Minister of Tourism Isaac Herzog (until 21 March 2007) Labor Party
Yitzhak Aharonovich (21 March 2007 – 18 January 2008) Yisrael Beiteinu
Ruhama Avraham (from 14 July 2008) Kadima
Minister of Transportation and Road Safety Shaul Mofaz Kadima
Minister of Welfare and Social Services Ehud Olmert (until 21 March 2007) Kadima
Isaac Herzog (from 21 March 2007) Labor Party
Minister without Portfolio Ruhama Avraham (4 July 2007 – 14 July 2008) Kadima
Ami Ayalon (24 September 2007 – 16 December 2008) Labor Party
Eitan Cabel (until 4 May 2007) Labor Party
Yitzhak Cohen (until 14 January 2008) Shas
Ya'akov Edri (until 4 July 2007) Kadima
Raleb Majadele (29 January – 21 March 2007) Labor Party
Meshulam Nahari Shas
Deputy Minister of Defense Efraim Sneh (30 October 2006 – 18 June 2007) Labor Party
Matan Vilnai (from 2 July 2007) Labor Party
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Majalli Wahabi (from 29 October 2007) Kadima

1 Peres left office when elected President.

2 Barak replaced Peretz when he defeated him in the party leadership election.

3 Pines-Paz resigned from the government in protest at the inclusion of Yisrael Beiteinu.

References

  1. ^ "Factional and Government Make-Up of the Seventeenth Knesset". www.knesset.gov.il. Knesset. March 28, 2006. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  2. ^ Lieberman blasts Arab MKs, pulls party out of government Archived 2008-01-19 at the Wayback Machine Haaretz, 16 January 2008
  3. ^ "First Arab joins Israeli cabinet". 2007-01-28. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  4. ^ "Makovsky: Olmert Likely to Head New Israeli Government in Coalition with Labor". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  5. ^ Muller, Tom; Lansford, Tom (2012-04-02). Political Handbook of the World 2012. SAGE. ISBN 978-1-60871-995-2.

External links

  • Seventeenth Knesset: Government 31 Knesset website