Twenty-third government of Israel

The twenty-third government of Israel was formed by Yitzhak Shamir of Likud on 22 December 1988, following the November 1988 elections. The government remained a national unity coalition between Likud and the Alignment, with the National Religious Party, Shas, Agudat Yisrael and Degel HaTorah also being members of the coalition. It was the first government to have a Minister of the Environment.

In 1990, after Shamir refused to accept a peace initiative developed by United States Secretary of State James Baker, the Alignment filed a motion of no-confidence in the government. Shamir fired all the Alignment ministers,Israeli Coalition Dissolves In Fight Over Peace Plan New York Times, 14 March 1990 but the vote was passed by 60–55, meaning that President Chaim Herzog had to ask one of the party leaders to form a new government. It was the first, and to date, only time which a government was brought down by a no confidence motion. Herzog initially asked Alignment leader Shimon Peres to form a new government, but after Peres was unable to, turned to Shamir, who successfully formed the twenty-fourth government on 11 June. The incident became known as the dirty trick.

Cabinet members PositionPersonPartyPrime MinisterYitzhak ShamirLikudActing Prime MinisterShimon Peres (until 15 March 1990)AlignmentDeputy Prime MinisterDavid LevyLikudYitzhak Navon (until 15 March 1990)AlignmentMinister of AgricultureAvraham Katz-Oz (until 15 March 1990)AlignmentMinister of CommunicationsGad Yaacobi (until 15 March 1990)AlignmentMinister of DefenseYitzhak Rabin (until 15 March 1990)AlignmentMinister of Economics and PlanningYitzhak Moda'iLikudMinister of Education and CultureYitzhak Navon (until 15 March 1990)AlignmentMinister of Energy and InfrastructureMoshe Shahal (until 15 March 1990)AlignmentMinister of the EnvironmentRoni Milo (until 7 March 1990)LikudRafael Edri (7–15 March 1990)AlignmentMinister of FinanceShimon Peres (until 15 March 1990)AlignmentMinister of Foreign AffairsMoshe ArensLikudMinister of HealthYa'akov Tzur (until 15 March 1990)AlignmentMinister of Housing and ConstructionDavid LevyLikudMinister of Immigrant AbsorptionYitzhak PeretzShasMinister of Industry and TradeAriel Sharon (until 20 February 1990)LikudMoshe Nissim (from 20 February 1990)LikudMinister of Internal AffairsAryeh DeriNot an MK 1Minister of JusticeDan MeridorLikudYitzhak Shamir (until 7 March 1990)LikudRoni Milo (from 7 March 1990)LikudMinister of PoliceHaim Bar-Lev (until 15 March 1990)AlignmentMinister of Religious AffairsZevulun HammerNational Religious PartyMinister of Science and DevelopmentEzer Weizman (until 15 March 1990)Alignment Minister of TourismAvraham SharirLikudMinister of TransportationMoshe KatsavLikudMinister without PortfolioRafael Edri (until 7 March 1990)AlignmentMoshe Nissim (until 7 March 1990)LikudMordechai Gur (until 15 March 1990)AlignmentEhud OlmertLikudAvner Shaki (from 27 December 1988)National Religious PartyDavid MagenLikudDeputy Minister of FinanceYossi Beilin (until 15 March 1990)AlignmentDeputy Minister of Foreign AffairsBenjamin NetanyahuLikudDeputy Minister of Internal AffairsRafael PinhasiShasDeputy Minister of Labour and Social WelfareMoshe Ze'ev FeldmanAgudat Yisrael

1 Although Deri was not a Knesset member at the time, he was a member of Shas.

References

External links Tenth Knesset: Government 23 Knesset website