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.
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.
Cabinet members PositionPersonPartyPrime MinisterGolda MeirAlignmentDeputy Prime MinisterYigal AllonAlignmentMinister of AgricultureHaim GvatiAlignmentMinister of CommunicationsElimelekh Rimalt (until 6 August 1970)GahalShimon Peres (from 1 September 1970)AlignmentMinister of DefenseMoshe DayanAlignmentMinister of DevelopmentHaim Landau (until 6 August 1970)GahalHaim Gvati (from 6 August 1970)AlignmentMinister of Education and CultureYigal AllonAlignmentMinister of FinancePinhas SapirAlignmentMinister of Foreign AffairsAbba EbanAlignmentMinister of HealthHaim Gvati (until 27 July 1970)AlignmentVictor Shem-Tov (from 27 July 1970)Not an MK 1Minister of HousingZe'ev SherfAlignmentMinister of ImmigrantAbsorptionShimon Peres (until 27 July 1970)AlignmentNatan Peled (from 27 July 1970)Not an MK 1Minister of Internal AffairsHaim-Moshe Shapira (until 16 July 1970) 2National Religious PartyYosef Burg (from 16 July 1970) Not an MK 3Minister of JusticeYaakov Shimshon Shapira 4AlignmentMinister of LabourYosef AlmogiAlignmentMinister of PoliceShlomo HillelAlignmentMinister of ReligionsZerach WarhaftigNot an MK 3Minister of TourismMoshe KolNot an MK 5Minister of Trade and IndustryYosef Sapir (until 6 August 1970)GahalPinhas Sapir (1 September 1970 – 5 March 1972)AlignmentHaim Bar-Lev (from 5 March 1972)Not an MK 6Minister of TransportationEzer Weizman (until 6 August 1970)Not an MK 7Shimon Peres (from 1 September 1970)AlignmentMinister of WelfareYosef Burg (until 1 September 1970)Not an MK 3Michael Hasani (from 1 September 1970)National Religious PartyMinister without PortfolioShimon Peres (until 22 December 1969)AlignmentYisrael Barzilai (until 12 June 1970) 2Not an MK 1Victor Shem-TovNot an MK 1Menachem Begin (until 6 August 1970)GahalAryeh Dolchin (until 6 August 1970)Not an MK 7Yisrael GaliliAlignmentDeputy Minister of AgricultureBen-Zion HalfonAlignmentDeputy Minister of CommunicationsJabr Muadi (from 27 October 1971)Progress and DevelopmentDeputy Minister of Education and CultureMichael Hasani (until 1 September 1970)National Religious PartyAharon Yadlin (until 26 July 1972)AlignmentAvner Shaki (1 September 1970 – 17 July 1972)National Religious PartyZevulun Hammer (from 16 January 1973) National Religious PartyDeputy Minister of FinanceZvi DinsteinAlignmentDeputy Minister of HealthAbd el-Aziz el-Zoubi (24 May 1971 – 14 February 1974) 2AlignmentDeputy Minister of Immigrant AbsorptionShlomo Rosen (from 20 November 1972)AlignmentDeputy Minister of Internal AffairsYosef Goldschmidt 8National Religious PartyDeputy Minister of TourismYehuda Sha'ariIndependent LiberalsDeputy Minister of TransportationGad 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
External links Seventh Knesset: Government 15 Knesset website