Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

Thirty-third government of Israel

Netanyahu III cabinet

33rd Cabinet of Israel
Date formed18 March 2013
Date dissolved14 May 2015
People and organisations
Head of stateShimon Peres Reuven Rivlin
Head of governmentBenjamin Netanyahu
Member partiesLikud Yisrael Beiteinu
Yesh Atid
The Jewish Home
Hatnuah
Status in legislatureCoalition government
Opposition partyLabor
Opposition leaderIsaac Herzog
History
ElectionKnesset elections, 2013
Legislature term19th Knesset
Predecessor32nd
Successor34th

The thirty-third government of Israel, also known as the third Netanyahu government,[1] was formed after the January 2013 Knesset elections, took office on 18 March 2013 and served until 14 May 2015. The Prime Minister was Benjamin Netanyahu of Likud; the government was a coalition of Likud, Yisrael Beiteinu, Yesh Atid, the Jewish Home, and Hatnuah.

Formation

Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu, which had run on a common list in the elections, were the largest faction in the Knesset, with 31 seats, and formed the government. Hatnuah agreed to become part of the government in February.[2] The final coalition agreement between Likud-Beteinu and the other parties was as signed on 15 March.[3] The coalition parties held 68 of the 120 seats in the Knesset. The parties agreed to a deal that would raise the voting threshold in future elections from 2 to 4 percent; had this restriction been effect in the 2013 elections, Kadima and the three Arab parties would have failed to qualify for seats in the Knesset. Some have suggested the change was implemented as an attempt to limit Arab representation, but that it could ultimately force the Arab parties to merge and this would bring greater unity in the long run.[4]

Recommendations

Party Party Leader Seats Recommended
Likud Yisrael Beiteinu Benjamin Netanyahu 31 Benjamin Netanyahu
Yesh Atid Yair Lapid 19 Benjamin Netanyahu
Labor Shelly Yachimovich 15 No one
The Jewish Home Naftali Bennett 12 Benjamin Netanyahu
Shas Eli Yishai 11 Benjamin Netanyahu
UTJ Yaakov Litzman 7 Benjamin Netanyahu
Hatnua Tzipi Livni 6 No one
Meretz Zehava Gal-On 6 No one
Ra'am Ibrahim Sarsur 4 No one
Hadash Mohammad Barakeh 4 No one
Balad Jamal Zahalka 3 No one
Kadima Shaul Mofaz 2 Benjamin Netanyahu

Dissolution

On 2 December 2014, Netanyahu dismissed Minister of Justice Tzipi Livni (Hatnuah) and Minister of Finance Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid). Four other Yesh Atid ministers then resigned. This dissolved the government ahead of schedule, resulting in elections on 17 March 2015.

Cabinet members

There were 29 ministerial posts to fill, but Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid called for a smaller cabinet. In response, the coalition agreed the cabinet was to have 20 members, with several members holding multiple ministries, plus eight deputy ministers.[5] However, the cabinet that was sworn in had 22 ministers and eight deputy ministers.[6] This did not include Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who had resigned in December 2012 after being charged with fraud. PM Netanyahu served as Foreign Minister until November 2013, when Lieberman was acquitted and returned to office.[7]

Cabinet members

Portfolio Minister Party Term started Term ended Notes
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Likud 18 March 2013 14 May 2015
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Yair Shamir Yisrael Beiteinu 18 March 2013 14 May 2015
Minister of Communications Gilad Erdan Likud 18 March 2013 5 November 2014
Benjamin Netanyahu Likud 5 November 2014 14 May 2015
Minister of Culture and Sport Limor Livnat Likud 18 March 2013 14 May 2015
Minister of Defense Moshe Ya'alon Likud 18 March 2013 14 May 2015
Minister for the Development of the Negev & Galilee Silvan Shalom Likud 18 March 2013 14 May 2015
Minister of Economy Naftali Bennett The Jewish Home 18 March 2013 14 May 2015 Ministry renamed 22 January 2013
Minister of Education Shai Piron Yesh Atid 18 March 2013 4 December 2014 Resigned after dismissal of Yair Lapid
Minister of Energy and Water Resources Silvan Shalom Likud 18 March 2013 14 May 2015
Minister of Environmental Protection Amir Peretz Hatnuah 18 March 2013 11 November 2014 Resigned after opposing the government's budget plans
Minister of Finance Yair Lapid Yesh Atid 18 March 2013 2 December 2014 Dismissed PM Netanyahu
Minister of Foreign Affairs Benjamin Netanyahu Likud 18 March 2013 11 November 2013 Resigned to make way for Lieberman
Avigdor Lieberman Yisrael Beiteinu 11 November 2013 6 May 2015
Minister of Health Yael German Yesh Atid 18 March 2013 4 December 2014 Resigned after dismissal of Yair Lapid
Minister of Home Front Defense Gilad Erdan Likud 18 March 2013 30 June 2014 Ministry abolished
Minister of Housing and Construction Uri Ariel The Jewish Home 18 March 2013 14 May 2015
Minister of Immigrant Absorption Sofa Landver Yisrael Beiteinu 18 March 2013 10 May 2015
Minister of Intelligence Yuval Steinitz Likud 18 March 2013 14 May 2015 Combined into
Minister of International Relations Yuval Steinitz Likud 18 March 2013 14 May 2015
Minister of the Interior Gideon Sa'ar Likud 18 March 2013 5 November 2014 Resigned; retired from politics
Gilad Erdan 5 November 2014 14 May 2015
Minister of Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs Benjamin Netanyahu Likud 18 March 2013 29 April 2013
Naftali Bennett The Jewish Home 29 April 2013 14 May 2015
Minister of Justice Tzipi Livni Hatnuah 18 March 2013 4 December 2014 Dismissed by Netanyahu
Minister of Pensioner Affairs Uri Orbach The Jewish Home 18 March 2013 16 February 2015 Died in office
Benjamin Netanyahu Likud 16 February 2015 14 May 2015
Minister of Public Security Yitzhak Aharonovich Yisrael Beiteinu 18 March 2013 14 May 2015
Minister for Regional Cooperation Silvan Shalom Likud 18 March 2013 14 May 2015
Minister of Religious Affairs Naftali Bennett The Jewish Home 18 March 2013 14 May 2015
Minister of Science, Technology and Space Ya'akov Peri Yesh Atid 18 March 2013 4 December 2014 Resigned after dismissal of Yair Lapid
Minister of Strategic Affairs Yuval Steinitz Likud 18 March 2013 14 May 2015
Minister of Transportation, National Infrastructure and Road Safety Israel Katz Likud 18 March 2013 14 May 2015
Minister of Tourism Uzi Landau Yisrael Beitenu 18 March 2013 14 May 2015
Minister of Welfare and Social Services Meir Cohen Yesh Atid 18 March 2013 4 December 2014 Resigned after dismissal of Yair Lapid

Deputy Ministers

Portfolio Minister Party Term started Term ended Notes
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Ofir Akunis Likud 18 March 2013 14 May 2015
Deputy Minister of Defense Danny Danon Likud 18 March 2013 15 July 2014 Dismissed by Netanyahu
Deputy Minister of Education Avi Wortzman The Jewish Home 18 March 2013 31 March 2015
Deputy Minister of Finance Mickey Levy Yesh Atid 18 March 2013 4 December 2014 Resigned after dismissal of Yair Lapid
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ze'ev Elkin Likud 18 March 2013 12 May 2014 Resigned after becoming Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee
Tzachi Hanegbi Likud 2 June 2014 6 May 2015
Deputy Minister of the Interior Faina Kirschenbaum Yisrael Beiteinu 18 March 2013 31 March 2015
Deputy Minister of Religious Services Eli Ben-Dahan The Jewish Home 18 March 2013 14 May 2015
Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tzipi Hotovely Likud 29 December 2014 14 May 2015
Deputy Minister of Transport, National Infrastructure and Road Safety Tzipi Hotovely Likud 18 March 2013 14 May 2015

Issues

In 2014, Housing Minister Uri Ariel from the Jewish Home party urged the Israeli government to accelerate construction projects in the West Bank, particularly in response to the newly formed Fatah-Hamas national unity government,[8] which he viewed as a direct challenge to Israeli interests. Ariel argued that expanding settlements in the area would strengthen Israel’s position and security. However, this call for expansion sparked significant tension within the coalition government. Finance Minister Yair Lapid from Yesh Atid threatened to dissolve the government if unilateral actions, such as annexing parts of the West Bank, were taken.[9] Lapid expressed concern that such moves could lead to international isolation and economic repercussions, further complicating relations with the U.S. and European Union. Justice Minister Tzipi Livni from the Hatnua party joined Lapid in opposition, warning that annexing parts of the West Bank without negotiations would jeopardize Israel’s democratic and international standing.[10] In contrast, Religious Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett, also from the Jewish Home party, argued that annexation of settled areas in the West Bank was the "only sane plan," insisting that the long-standing debate over whether to retain or leave the settlements was counterproductive and that past efforts to reach a resolution on this issue had repeatedly failed. He viewed annexation as a logical step that would provide clarity and strengthen Israel's control over key areas. Despite these internal divisions, government spokesperson Mark Regevdeclined to address the differing views, refraining from commenting on either the annexation proposal or the resistance from coalition partners.[11]

References

  1. ^ "ממשלת נתניהו השלישית: מפלגת השלטון הופכת". NRG. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  2. ^ "Netanyahu reaches first deal on new Israel government: source". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on March 3, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  3. ^ "Jewish Home, Yesh Atid ink coalition deal with Likud-Beytenu". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  4. ^ "Raising threshold for Israeli cabinet proposes challenge to Arab parties". Haaretz. Haaretz.com. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  5. ^ Azulay, Moran (11 March 2013). "PM, Lapid agree: 20 ministers, 8 deputies in next government". ynet. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  6. ^ "Governments of Israel". Knesset.gov.il. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  7. ^ "Israel's Lieberman to return to government". Aljazeera.com. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  8. ^ "Yair Lapid, Ariel: Hamas-Fatah government shows Palestinians don't want peace - Diplomacy & Politics - Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post - JPost.com. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  9. ^ "Israeli far-right ministers threaten to resign over Gaza ceasefire proposal". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
  10. ^ "Yair Lapid: If even one settlement is annexed, we'll topple the government - Diplomacy & Politics - Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post - JPost.com. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  11. ^ Jonathan Ferziger (9 June 2014). "Israel Minister Says Annexing West Bank 'Only Sane Plan'". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 17 February 2015.