The twenty-ninth government of Israel was formed by Ariel Sharon on 7 March 2001, following his victory over Ehud Barak in the special election for Prime Minister in February. It was the first, and to date only time an election for Prime Minister was held without parallel elections for the Knesset, and one of the first acts of the new government was to repeal the law which introduced separate elections. Despite his large margin of victory in the election, because there had been no Knesset elections, Sharon's Likud was not the largest party in the Knesset, resulting in the formation of a national unity coalition that at some point included Labor–Meimad (the largest faction in the Knesset), Shas, the Centre Party, the National Religious Party, United Torah Judaism, Yisrael BaAliyah, the National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu, the New Way and Gesher.Factional and Government Make-Up of the Fifteenth Knesset Knesset website Shas left the government on 23 May 2002, but returned on 3 June, whilst Labor–Meimad left on 2 November 2002.
The government initially had 26 ministers and 15 deputy ministers, making it the largest in Israeli political history, and resulting in a new $10,000 horseshoe-shaped table having to be installed in the Knesset plenum.Sharon puts security first BBC News, 8 March 2001 There were four Deputy Prime Ministers and eight Ministers without Portfolio during the government's term, during which the total number of ministers rose to 29. Although there had previously been Israeli Arab deputy ministers, with the inclusion of the Druze politician Salah Tarif as Minister without Portfolio, the twenty-ninth government was the first to have a non-Jewish minister.Saleh Tarif, MK Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sharon formed a center-right coalition government that was not dependent on the ultra-Orthodox parties.
The government held office until Sharon formed the thirtieth government on 28 February 2003, following Likud's comprehensive victory in the January elections.
Cabinet members PositionPersonPartyPrime MinisterAriel SharonLikudDeputy Prime MinisterShimon Peres (until 2 November 2002)Labor-MeimadSilvan ShalomLikudNatan SharanskyYisrael BaAliyahEli Yishai 1ShasMinister of AgricultureShalom Simhon (until 2 November 2002)Labor–MeimadTzipi Livni (from 17 December 2002)LikudMinister of CommunicationsReuven RivlinLikudMinister of DefenseBinyamin Ben-Eliezer (until 2 November 2002)Labor–MeimadShaul Mofaz (from 4 November 2002)Not an MKMinister of EducationLimor LivnatLikudMinister of the EnvironmentTzachi HanegbiLikudMinister of FinanceSilvan ShalomLikudMinister of Foreign AffairsShimon Peres (until 2 November 2002)Labor–MeimadBenjamin Netanyahu (from 6 November 2002)Not an MKMinister of HealthNissim Dahan 1ShasMinister of Housing and ConstructionNatan SharanskyYisrael BaAliyahMinister of Immigrant AbsorptionAriel SharonLikudMinister of Industry, Trade and LabourDalia Itzik (until 2 November 2002)Labor–MeimadAriel Sharon (from 2 November 2002)LikudMinister of Internal AffairsEli Yishai 1ShasMinister of Internal SecurityUzi LandauLikudMinister of Jerusalem AffairsEli Suissa 1ShasMinister of JusticeMeir SheetritLikudMinister of Labour and Social WelfareShlomo BenizriShasMinister of National InfrastructureAvigdor Lieberman (until 14 March 2002)Yisrael BeiteinuEffi Eitam (from 18 September 2002)Not an MKMinister of Regional Co-operationTzipi Livni (until 29 August 2001)LikudRoni Milo (from 29 August 2001)Centre PartyMinister of Religious AffairsAsher OhanaNot an MKMinister of Science, Culture and SportMatan VilnaiNot an MKMinister of Social Co-ordinationShmuel AvitalNot an MKMinister of TourismRehavam Ze'evi (until 17 October 2001) National UnionBenny Elon (31 October 2001 - 14 March 2002)National UnionYitzhak Levy (from 18 September 2002)Not an MKMinister of TransportationEfraim Sneh (until 2 November 2002)Labor–MeimadTzachi Hanegbi (from 15 December 2002)LikudMinister without PortfolioRa'anan Cohen (until 18 August 2002)Labor–MeimadEffi Eitam (8 April - 18 September 2002)Not an MKDavid Levy (8 April - 30 July 2002)GesherYitzhak Levy (8 April - 18 September 2002)Not an MKTzipi Livni (29 August 2001 - 17 December 2002)LikudDan Meridor (from 29 August 2001)Centre PartyDan NavehLikudSalah Tarif (until 29 January 2002)Labor–MeimadDeputy Minister in the Prime Minister's OfficeYuri Stern (until 14 March 2002)Yisrael BeiteinuDeputy Minister of DefenseDalia Rabin-Pelossof (until 1 August 2002)New WayWeizman Shiry (12 August - 2 November 2002)Labor–MeimadDeputy Minister of EducationMeshulam Nahari 1ShasAvraham Ravitz (from 16 April 2001)United Torah JudaismDeputy Minister of FinanceYitzhak Cohen (from 2 May 2001)1ShasDeputy Minister of Foreign AffairsMichael Melchior (until 2 November 2002)Labor–MeimadDeputy Minister of Housing and ConstructionMeir Porush (from 4 June 2001)United Torah JudaismDeputy Minister of Immigrant AbsorptionYuli-Yoel EdelsteinYisrael BaAliyahDeputy Minister of Industry and TradeEli Ben-Menachem (until 2 November 2002)Labor–MeimadDeputy Minister of Internal AffairsDavid Azulai (from 2 March 2001)1ShasDeputy Minister of Internal SecurityGideon EzraLikudDeputy Minister of Labour and Social WelfareYitzhak Vaknin (from 2 May 2001)1ShasDeputy Minister of National InfrastructureNaomi Blumenthal (until 1 January 2003)LikudDeputy Minister of TransportationAvraham Yehezkel (until 2 November 2002)Labor–MeimadSofa Landver (12 August - 2 November 2002)Labor–Meimad
1 The Shas ministers resigned between 20 and 23 May 2002, but returned to office on 3 June. With the exception of the Jerusalem Affairs portfolio, during their absence, Ariel Sharon took over their positions.
References
External links Fifteenth Knesset: Government 29 Knesset website