Fifteenth government of Israel

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]

Second Meir Cabinet

15th Cabinet of Israel
Date formed15 December 1969 (1969-12-15)
Date dissolved10 March 1974 (1974-03-10)
People and organisations
Head of stateZalman Shazar (until 1973)
Ephraim Katzir (from 1973)
Head of governmentGolda Meir
Member partiesAlignment
Gahal (until August 1970)
National Religious Party
Progress and Development
Independent Liberals
Cooperation and Brotherhood
Status in legislatureCoalition
Opposition leaderYitzhak-Meir Levin (until 1970)
Menachem Begin (from 1970)
History
Election1969 Israeli legislative election
Legislature term7th Knesset
Predecessor14th Cabinet of Israel
Successor16th Cabinet of Israel

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.

Israeli government formation, December 1969

← March 1969 15 December 1969 March 1974 →
 
Nominee Golda Meir Yitzhak-Meir Levin
Party Alignment Agudat Yisrael
Electoral vote 102 18
Percentage 85.0% 15.0%

Prime Minister before election

Golda Meir
Alignment

Elected Prime Minister

Golda Meir
Alignment

Cabinet members

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Position Person Party
Prime Minister Golda Meir Alignment
Deputy Prime Minister Yigal Allon Alignment
Minister of Agriculture Haim Gvati Alignment
Minister of Communications Elimelekh Rimalt (until 6 August 1970) Gahal
Shimon Peres (from 1 September 1970) Alignment
Minister of Defense Moshe Dayan Alignment
Minister of Development Haim Landau (until 6 August 1970) Gahal
Haim Gvati (from 6 August 1970) Alignment
Minister of Education and Culture Yigal Allon Alignment
Minister of Finance Pinhas Sapir Alignment
Minister of Foreign Affairs Abba Eban Alignment
Minister of Health Haim Gvati (until 27 July 1970) Alignment
Victor Shem-Tov (from 27 July 1970) Not an MK 1
Minister of Housing Ze'ev Sherf Alignment
Minister of Immigrant
Absorption
Shimon Peres (until 27 July 1970) Alignment
Natan Peled (from 27 July 1970) Not an MK 1
Minister of Internal Affairs Haim-Moshe Shapira (until 16 July 1970) 2 National Religious Party
Yosef Burg (from 16 July 1970) Not an MK 3
Minister of Justice Yaakov Shimshon Shapira 4 Alignment
Minister of Labour Yosef Almogi Alignment
Minister of Police Shlomo Hillel Alignment
Minister of Religions Zerach Warhaftig Not an MK 3
Minister of Tourism Moshe Kol Not an MK 5
Minister of Trade and Industry Yosef 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 Transportation Ezer Weizman (until 6 August 1970) Not an MK 7
Shimon Peres (from 1 September 1970) Alignment
Minister of Welfare Yosef Burg (until 1 September 1970) Not an MK 3
Michael Hasani (from 1 September 1970) National Religious Party
Minister without Portfolio Shimon Peres (until 22 December 1969)
Alignment
Yisrael Barzilai (until 12 June 1970) 2 Not an MK 1
Victor Shem-Tov Not an MK 1
Menachem Begin (until 6 August 1970) Gahal
Aryeh Dolchin (until 6 August 1970) Not an MK 7
Yisrael Galili Alignment
Deputy Minister of Agriculture Ben-Zion Halfon Alignment
Deputy Minister of Communications Jabr Muadi (from 27 October 1971) Progress and Development
Deputy Minister of Education and Culture Michael 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 Finance Zvi Dinstein Alignment
Deputy Minister of Health Abd el-Aziz el-Zoubi (24 May 1971 – 14 February 1974) 2 Alignment
Deputy Minister of Immigrant Absorption Shlomo Rosen (from 20 November 1972) Alignment
Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Yosef Goldschmidt 8 National Religious Party
Deputy Minister of Tourism Yehuda Sha'ari Independent Liberals
Deputy Minister of Transportation Gad 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.

References

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  1. ^ "Gahal Faction Resigns From Israeli Government Coalition Over Acceptance of U.S. Peace Proposal". The New York Times. 1970-08-04. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-06-02.
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