Thirty-fourth government of Israel
The thirty-fourth government of Israel, also known as the Fourth Netanyahu Government,[1] was the government of Israel, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu between 2015 and 2020. It was formed after the March 2015 Knesset election. The coalition that made up the government, consisting of 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. Government ministers were introduced, approved by the Knesset and sworn in on 14 May. Deputy ministers were sworn in on 19 May. On 29 December 2018, the newly formed New Right party became a coalition partner, after splitting from the Jewish Home.
Fourth Netanyahu cabinet | |
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 34th Cabinet of Israel | |
 The ministers of the government, and president Reuven Rivlin | |
| Date formed | 14 May 2015 |
| Date dissolved | 17 May 2020 |
| People and organisations | |
| Head of state | Reuven Rivlin |
| Head of government | Benjamin Netanyahu |
| No. of ministers | 21 |
| Member parties |
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| Status in legislature | Coalition |
| Opposition party | Zionist Union, Blue and White |
| Opposition leaders | |
| History | |
| Election(s) | 2015 Knesset election |
| Legislature term(s) | 20th, 21st and 22nd Knessets |
| Outgoing formation | 2019–2022 political crisis |
| Predecessor | 33rd government |
| Successor | 35th government |
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Between them, the coalition parties held 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, dissolving the government ahead of schedule.[2][3]
During the 34th government, several corruption cases arose in regards to Netanyahu. Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked stated that even if indicted, Netanyahu would still be able to continue as Prime Minister.[4] On 26 December 2018, Knesset members officially passed a law dispersing the Knesset.[5] The Knesset reassembled following the April 2019 Israeli legislative election, only to be dispersed once again on 30 May 2019 after Netanyahu failed to form a new cabinet.[6][7][8]
Policy guidelines
The policy guidelines for the 34th government included, but were not limited to:[9]
- 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
Recommendations
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| Party | Party Leader | Seats | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Likud | Benjamin Netanyahu | 30 | Benjamin Netanyahu | |
| Zionist Union | Isaac Herzog | 24 | Isaac Herzog | |
| Joint List | Ayman Odeh | 13 | No one | |
| Yesh Atid | Yair Lapid | 11 | No one | |
| Kulanu | Moshe Kahlon | 10 | Benjamin Netanyahu | |
| The Jewish Home | Naftali Bennett | 8 | Benjamin Netanyahu | |
| Shas | Aryeh Deri | 7 | Benjamin Netanyahu | |
| Yisrael Beiteinu | Avigdor Lieberman | 6 | Benjamin Netanyahu | |
| UTJ | Yaakov Litzman | 6 | Benjamin Netanyahu | |
| Meretz | Zehava Gal-On | 5 | Isaac Herzog | |
Terms of coalition agreements are considered binding law in Israel.[10] 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.
Coalition agreements
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.[11]
Likud agreed to raise the salary of soldiers, give unemployment insurance to self-employed workers and set a biennial budget by October 2015.[12]
Kulanu was also permitted to vote against the coalition if it disagreed with legislation that would reform the Israeli Supreme Court.
The Jewish Home
The agreement included 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.[13]
The agreement also stipulated that all obligations and commitments made to increase Haredi institutions will have to come from the Finance Ministry, not the Education Ministry.
Cabinet members
On 30 May 2019,[6] Netanyahu failed to form a new cabinet following disputes with former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and a vote to temporarily dissolve the Knesset until another election can be held in September 2019 was passed.[6][7][8] The current Cabinet, which is inactive in its full duties so long as the Knesset is dissolved, includes:
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. Netanyahu resigned his post as Minister of Communications following an investigation into his relationship with the media, and was replaced temporarily by Tzachi Hanegbi.[19] The Ministry for Senior Citizens was renamed Ministry for Social Equality in August, 2015.
Deputy ministers
| Portfolio | Minister | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deputy Minister of Defense | Eli Ben-Dahan (Before 10/3/19) | The Jewish Home | |
| Avi Dichter (After 10/3/19) | Likud | ||
| Deputy Minister of Education | Meir Porush | United Torah Judaism | |
| Deputy Minister of Interior | Meshulam Nahari | Shas | |
| Deputy Minister of Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services | Meshulam Nahari | Shas | |
Security cabinet
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 | Avi Dichter (Before 10/3/19) | Likud | |
| Gabi Ashkenazi (since 10/3/19) | Blue and White | ||
| 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 Gallant | Likud |
| World Zionist Organization’s Settlement Division | Avraham Duvdevani | |
| Israel Atomic Energy Commission | Zeev Shnir |
References
- "ממשלת נתניהו השלישית: מפלגת השלטון הופכת". NRG. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
- "Israeli government agrees to hold early elections in April". The Guardian. Associated Press. 24 December 2018. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
- "Israel to hold early elections as Knesset is dissolved". Financial Times. 24 December 2014.
- "Netanyahu wouldn't have to quit if indicted, Shaked says". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
- "Knesset Speaker: I will not let session end until bill to disperse passes". The Jerusalem Post.
- Oster, Marcy. "What comes next as Israel's Knesset votes to dissolve itself, declare new elections?". sun-sentinel.com.
- "After Netanyahu Fails to Form Government, Israel to Hold New Election". Haaretz. 30 May 2019.
- "Netanyahu's future clouded by rivalry with former ally". AP News. 30 May 2019.
- Tuval, Uri (13 May 2015). "Promise to Keep Status of High Court Removed from Government Policy Guideline Document". Calcalist (in Hebrew). Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- "Bennett rejects US comments on 'Jewish state' bill". Times of Israel.
the present government's coalition agreement, which has the binding legal status of a contract
- Azulay, Moran (4 May 2015). "Contents of coalition agreements with UTJ, Kulanu revealed". ynet.
- "Securing first partners, Likud inks coalition deals with Kulanu, UTJ". The Times of Israel.
- "Jewish Home makes it official with Likud deal". The Times of Israel.
- https://www.jpostcom/Breaking-News/Naftali-Bennett-to-be-Defense-Minster-607285
- "Yisrael Katz Becomes Israel's Minister Of Foreign Affairs". 17 February 2019.
- https://www.knesset.gov.il/govt/eng/GovtByNumber_eng.asp?govt=34
- "Yariv Levin named new immigration and absorption minister". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com.
- "Netanyahu appoints Amir Ohana justice minister, first openly gay cabinet member". www.timesofisrael.com.
- Wootliff, Raoul. "Netanyahu resigns as communications minister amid probe into media scam". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
External links
Media related to Thirty-fourth government of Israel at Wikimedia Commons- Thirty-fourth government of Israel at the Knesset website
- Thirty-fourth government of Israel at the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs website
- Thirty-fourth government of Israel at the Jewish Virtual Library website
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