Thirty-fourth government of Israel

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Fourth Netanyahu Cabinet
Flag of Israel.svg
34th cabinet of Israel
Incumbent
Benjamin Netanyahu 2012.jpg
Date formed 14 May 2015 (2015-05-14)
People and organisations
Head of government Benjamin Netanyahu
Head of state Reuven Rivlin
Number of ministers 21
Member parties Likud
The Jewish Home
Kulanu
Shas
United Torah Judaism
Yisrael Beiteinu
Status in legislature Coalition
Opposition leader Isaac Herzog
History
Election(s) 2015 Knesset election
Legislature term(s) 20th Knesset
Predecessor 33rd Cabinet

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The thirty-fourth government of Israel (Hebrew: מֶמְשֶׁלֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל הַשְׁלוֹשִׁים וְאַרְבַּע‎, Mem'shelet Yisra'el HaShloshim VeArba'ah; also known as the Fourth Netanyahu Government)[1] is the current government of Israel, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It was formed after the March 2015 Knesset elections. The coalition that makes up the government, consisting of the parties Likud, United Torah Judaism, Shas, Kulanu and the Jewish Home, was submitted to the President of Israel just before the deadline on 6 May 2015. The government ministers were introduced, approved by the Knesset and sworn in on 14 May. The government deputy ministers were sworn in on 19 May.

Between them, the parties hold 61 of the 120 seats in the Knesset. The elections that led to the formation of the government were a result of events on 2 December 2014, when Netanyahu dismissed two of his ministers whose parties' members subsequently resigned from the 33rd government of Israel, dissolving the government ahead of schedule.

Policy guidelines

The policy guidelines for the 34th government include but are not limited to:[2]

  • Strengthening the rule of law
  • Reducing the cost of living
  • Increasing competition, especially in the financial sector, and granting easier access to credit for small and medium businesses
  • Integrating disabled persons into society, in providing education and employment aid
  • Advancing the peace process with the Palestinians and other neighbors while keeping Israel's national interests

Coalition agreements

File:GPOABG 9797.jpg
President Reuven Rivlin (right) assigned the task of forming the new government to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) in an official ceremony held on 25 March 2015.

Terms of coalition agreements are considered binding law in Israel.[3] As such, parties must adhere to the agreements made with the Prime Minister when the coalition was formed.

Changes to the responsibilities of official positions include the relinquishment of the Justice Minister's ability to appoint judges to religious courts. Also, the Religious Affairs Minister will not have control over affairs connected to conversion to Judaism; that will be under the purview of the Prime Minister's office.

Kulanu

Kulanu agreed to support the implementation of the Norwegian Law, allowing members of the Knesset to exit the Knesset upon receiving a post in the cabinet.[4]

Likud agreed to raise the salary of soldiers, give unemployment insurance to self-employed workers and set a biennial budget by October 2015.[5]

Kulanu is also permitted to vote against the coalition if it disagrees with legislation that would reform the Israeli Supreme Court.

The Jewish Home

The agreement includes an increase of NIS 630 million ($163.4 million) for the education budget, an allocation of NIS 1 billion ($259 million) to raise soldiers' pay during their third year of service, a budget increase for Ariel University, which is in the West Bank, and support for the so-called NGO bill.[6]

The agreement also stipulates that all obligations and commitments made to increase Haredi institutions will have to come from the Finance Ministry and not the Education Ministry.

Future changes

Members of the Likud party anticipate possible additions to the coalition, including Likud member Gilad Erdan, who did not accept the ministerial position that was offered to him by Netanyahu, and Avigdor Lieberman, whose Yisrael Beitenu party decided not to join the coalition. Additionally, Likud member Tzahi Hanegbi, who had to settle for a Knesset committee chairmanship, is expected to gain a ministerial position after one year, when he switches places with Ofir Akunis.[7]

Cabinet members

File:Thirty-fourth government of Israel.jpg
The ministers of the thirty-fourth government of Israel, and president Reuven Rivlin
Portfolio Minister Party
Prime Minister
Minister of Communications
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister of Regional Cooperation
Minister of the Economy
Benjamin Netanyahu Likud
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Uri Ariel The Jewish Home
Minister of Construction Yoav Galant Kulanu
Minister of Culture and Sport Miri Regev Likud
Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman Yisrael Beiteinu
Minister of the Interior
Minister of the Development of the Negev and Galilee
Aryeh Deri Shas
Minister of Education
Minister of Diaspora Affairs
Naftali Bennett The Jewish Home
Minister of Environmental Protection Vacant
Minister of Finance Moshe Kahlon Kulanu
Minister of Health Yaakov Litzman United Torah Judaism
Minister of Immigrant Absorption Sofa Landver Yisrael Beiteinu
Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy
Minister of Transportation
Yisrael Katz Likud
Minister of Jerusalem Ze'ev Elkin Likud
Minister of Internal Security
Minister of Strategic Affairs
Minister of Information
Gilad Erdan Likud
Minister of Tourism Yariv Levin Likud
Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked The Jewish Home
Minister of National Infrastructure, Energy, and Water Yuval Steinitz Likud
Minister of Religious Affairs David Azulai Shas
Minister of Science, Technology and Space Ofir Akunis Likud
Minister for Senior Citizens Gila Gamliel Likud
Minister of Welfare and Social Services Haim Katz Likud
Minister without portfolio Tzachi Hanegbi Likud

Deri resigned his post as Minister of the Economy reportedly over an unpopular gas monopoly deal. Netanyahu took over the portfolio and promised to speed up the deal.[8]

Deputy ministers

Portfolio Minister Party
Deputy Minister of Construction Jackie Levy Likud
Deputy Minister of Defense Eli Ben-Dahan The Jewish Home
Deputy Minister of Education Meir Porush United Torah Judaism
Deputy Minister of Finance Yitzhak Cohen Shas
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Hotovely Likud
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Yaron Mazuz Likud
Deputy Minister of Regional Cooperation Ayoob Kara Likud
Deputy Minister of the Interior Meshulam Nahari Shas

Security cabinet

Minister Party
Benjamin Netanyahu (Chairman) Likud
Naftali Bennett The Jewish Home
Aryeh Deri Shas
Gilad Erdan Likud
Yoav Galant Kulanu
Moshe Kahlon Kulanu
Yisrael Katz Likud
Sofa Landver Yisrael Beiteinu
Avigdor Lieberman Yisrael Beiteinu
Ayelet Shaked The Jewish Home

See also Security Cabinet of Israel.

Committee chairs

Committee Chairman Party
Economic Affairs Committee Eitan Cabel Zionist Union
Education, Culture, and Sports Committee Ya'akov Margi Shas
Ethics Committee Yitzhak Vaknin Shas
Finance Committee Moshe Gafni United Torah Judaism
Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Tzachi Hanegbi Likud
House Committee David Bitan Likud
Committee for Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs Avraham Neguise Likud
Internal Affairs and Environment Committee Dudu Amsalem Likud
Labor, Welfare and Health Committee Eli Alaluf Kulanu
Constitution, Law and Justice Committee Nissan Slomiansky The Jewish Home
Science and Technology Committee Uri Maklev United Torah Judaism
State Control Committee Karin Elharar Yesh Atid
Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality Aida Touma-Suleiman Joint List
Special Committee for Discussion of the Public Broadcast Bill 2015 Stav Shaffir Zionist Union
Special Committee for Public Petitions Yisrael Eichler United Torah Judaism
Special Committee for the Rights of the Child Yifat Shasha-Biton Kulanu
Special Committee for the Transparency and Accessibility of Government Information Stav Shaffir Zionist Union
Special Committee on Drug and Alcohol Abuse Tamar Zandberg Meretz
Special Committee to Discuss the National Authority for Urban Renewal Bill Eli Cohen Kulanu
Source: Knesset

Government agencies and special committees

Agency / Committee Chairman Party
Israel Land Administration Yoav Galant[original research?] Kulanu
World Zionist Organization’s Settlement Division Uri Ariel The Jewish Home[6]
Israel Atomic Energy Commission Yuval Steinitz[original research?] Likud

References

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  6. 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. http://www.haaretz.com/news/israel/1.656887
  8. ‘Struggle over democracy’: Israelis protest Netanyahu’s gas deal with US energy giant Russia Today, 8 November 2015

External links