The Ministry of Defense (, acronym: ) of the government of Israel, is the governmental department responsible for defending the State of Israel from internal and external military threats. Its political head is the defense minister of Israel, and its offices are located in HaKirya, Tel Aviv.

The Ministry of Defense oversees most of the Israeli security forces, including the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israel Military Industries (IMI), and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

The ministry was established when the British Mandate of Palestine ended, and the British Army departed Palestine and the State of Israel was formed. This ended the rag-tag militia units during British rule and gave way to the formal defense of the Jewish state.

Structure Home Front Defense Ministry, headed by the deputy defense minister Israeli National Emergency Authority, Rahel Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure, Maf'at Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Matpash Director of Security of the Defense Establishment, Malmab Defense Establishment Comptroller Unit Defense Political Branch, Abtam International Defense Cooperation Directorate, Sibat () Computer and Management information systems, Malam – Data Processing Center Logistics Operations and properties Branch, Emun Defense Social branch Department of Defense Export Control, Api Tank program Directorate Procurement and Production Directorate, Manhar Emergency management, Melakh Ombudsman for soldiers, Nakhal Fund and Unit for Discharged Soldiers Department of Families and Remembrance Disabled Rehabilitation Division

Minister of Defense

The defense minister of Israel () heads the ministry. The post is considered to be the second most important position in the Israeli cabinet, and usually has a deputy minister. The defense minister is also a permanent member of the Security Cabinet.

Due to the great importance of the defense portfolio, prime ministers have often held the position in addition to their prime ministerial duties; eight of the twenty defense ministers to date were also serving prime ministers. Six of them (Moshe Dayan, Yitzhak Rabin, Ehud Barak, Shaul Mofaz, Moshe Ya'alon and Benny Gantz) are also former Chiefs of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces.

Amongst the duties of the post, defense ministers can request administrative detention. Because of the intensive work and the tension between the political echelon to the military echelon, frequently disagreements and difference of opinion are created between the defense minister and the chief of staff.

List of ministers #MinisterPartyGovernmentsTerm startTerm endNotes1David Ben-GurionMapai P, 1, 2, 3, 414 May 194826 January 1954Serving Prime Minister2Pinhas LavonMapai 526 January 195421 February 1955–David Ben-GurionMapai 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 1021 February 195526 June 1963Serving Prime Minister3Levi EshkolMapai, Alignment 11, 12, 1326 June 19635 June 1967Serving Prime Minister4Moshe DayanRafi, Labor Party, Alignment 13, 14, 15, 165 June 19673 June 19745Shimon PeresAlignment 173 June 197420 June 19776Ezer WeizmanLikud 1820 June 197728 May 19807Menachem BeginLikud 1828 May 19805 August 1981Serving Prime Minister8Ariel SharonLikud 195 August 198114 February 1983–Menachem BeginLikud 1914 February 198323 February 1983Serving Prime Minister9Moshe ArensLikud 19, 2023 February 198313 September 198410Yitzhak RabinAlignment 21, 22, 2313 September 198415 March 199011Yitzhak ShamirLikud 2315 March 199011 June 1990Serving Prime Minister –Moshe ArensLikud 2411 June 199013 July 1992–Yitzhak RabinLabor Party 2513 July 19924 November 1995Serving Prime Minister, assassinated–Shimon PeresLabor Party 25, 264 November 199518 June 1996Serving Prime Minister12Yitzhak MordechaiLikud 2718 June 199625 January 1999–Moshe ArensLikud 2727 January 19996 July 199913Ehud BarakOne Israel 286 July 19997 March 2001Serving Prime Minister14Binyamin Ben-EliezerLabor Party 297 March 20012 November 200215Shaul MofazLikud 29, 304 November 20024 May 2006Not an MK at start of term in office16Amir PeretzLabor Party 314 May 200618 June 2007–Ehud BarakLabor Party, Independence 31, 3218 June 200718 March 2013Not an MK at start of term in office17Moshe Ya'alonLikud 33, 3418 March 201322 May 2016–Benjamin NetanyahuLikud 3422 May 201630 May 2016Serving Prime MinisterActing minister18Avigdor LiebermanYisrael Beiteinu 3430 May 201618 November 2018 19Benjamin NetanyahuLikud 3418 November 20188 November 2019Serving Prime Minister 20Naftali BennettNew Right 348 November 201917 May 202021Benny GantzBlue and White 35, 3617 May 202029 December 2022Serving Alternate Prime Minister22Yoav GallantLikud 3729 December 20225 November 202423Israel KatzLikud 375 November 2024

Deputy ministers #MinisterPartyGovernmentsTerm startTerm end1Shimon PeresMapai9, 10, 11, 1221 December 195925 May 19652Zvi DinsteinAlignment1317 January 19665 June 19673Mordechai TziporiLikud18, 1928 June 197710 October 19834Michael DekelLikud21, 223 December 198521 November 19885Ovadia EliLikud248 July 199113 July 19926Mordechai GurLabor Party254 August 199216 July 19957Ori OrrLabor Party2627 November 199518 June 19968Silvan ShalomLikud279 July 19976 July 19999Efraim SnehOne Israel285 August 19997 March 200110Dalia Rabin-PelossofLabor Party297 March 20011 August 200211Weizman ShiryLabor Party2912 August 20022 November 200212Ze'ev BoimLikudKadima305 March 200318 January 2006–Efraim SnehLabor Party3130 October 200618 June 200713Matan VilnaiLabor Party31, 322 July 200718 January 201114Danny DanonLikud3318 March 201315 July 201415Eli Ben-DahanThe Jewish Home3419 May 20153 October 201916Alon SchusterBlue and White3628 June 202129 December 2022

Directors General

#Director GeneralTerm startTerm end1Levi Eshkol194819482Eliezer Peri194819493Pinchas Sapir194919514195119525Shimon Peres19521959 6Asher Ben-Natan195919657196519708197019729197219751019751978111978198112198119821319821983141983198615David Ivry19861996161996199917Amos Yaron19992005182005200619Gabi Ashkenazi20062007202007201021Ehud Shani2010201322Dan Harel20132016 23Udi Adam2016202024Amir Eshel2020202325Eyal Zamir20232025–Itamar Graff (acting)2025202526Amir Baram2025present

Notes

References

External links

Israel Ministry of Defense All Ministers in the Ministry of Defense Knesset