Prime Minister of Israel

head of government of Israel

The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of government and chief executive of Israel. The prime minister has the most powerful political job in the country and is usually the leader of the majority party or coalition in the Parliament of Israel. The current Prime Minister is Benjamin Netanyahu who took office again in December 2022.

Prime Minister of Israel
רֹאשׁ הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה
Flag of the Prime Minister of Israel[1]
Incumbent
Benjamin Netanyahu

since 29 December 2022
Prime Minister's Office
StyleHis Excellency
ResidenceBeit Aghion
NominatorKnesset
AppointerPresident of Israel
Term length4 years (maximum)
Inaugural holderDavid Ben-Gurion
Formation14 May 1948
DeputyDeputy Prime Minister
Salary168,210 USD annually[2]
Websitepmo.gov.il

List of prime ministers

  Mapai/Alignment/Labor (7)     

  Herut/Likud (4)       Kadima (2)       Yamina (1)        Yesh Atid (1)

No.Name
(Lifespan)
PortraitPolitical partyTerm of officeElected
(Knesset)
Government
No.Composition
1David Ben-Gurion

(1886–1973)

Mapai14 May 194810 March 1949Prov.Mapai • Mapam • HHaM • New Aliyah • S&O • Mizrachi • Gen.Zionists • Aguda
10 March 19491 November 19501949 (1st)1stMapai • URF • Progressives • S&O • DLN
1 November 19508 October 19512nd
8 October 195124 December 19521951 (2nd)3rdMapai • Mizrachi • HHaM-Aguda-PAY • DLIA-P&W-A&D
24 December 195226 January 19544thMapaiGen.Zionists • Progressive • Mizrachi • HHaM • DLIA-P&W-A&D
2Moshe Sharett

(1894–1965)

Mapai26 January 195429 June 19555th
29 June 19553 November 19556thMapai • Mizrachi • HHaM • DLIA-P&W-A&D
(1)David Ben-Gurion

(1886–1973)

Mapai3 November 19557 January 19581955 (3rd)7thMapai • NRP • Mapam • AHaA • Progressives • DLIA-P&W-A&D • P&D-C&B[11]
7 January 195817 December 19598th
17 December 19592 November 19611959 (4th)9th
2 November 196126 June 19631961 (5th)10thMapai • NRP • AHaA • PAY • P&D-C&B
3Levi Eshkol

(1895–1969)

Mapai26 June 196322 December 196411th
22 December 196412 January 196612th
Alignment[1]
Mapai/Labor
12 January 196626 February 1969[2]1965 (6th)13thAlignment • NRP • Mapam • Indep.Liberals • PAY • P&D-C&B • Gahal[11]Rafi[11]
Yigal Allon

(1918–1980)
Acting

Alignment
Labor
26 February 1969[2]17 March 1969
4Golda Meir

(1898–1978)

Alignment
Labor
17 March 196915 December 196914th
15 December 196910 March 19741969 (7th)15thAlignmentGahal[11] • NRP • Indep.Liberals • P&D-C&B
10 March 19743 June 19741973 (8th)16thAlignment • NRP • Indep.Liberals
5Yitzhak Rabin

(1922–1995)

Alignment
Labor
3 June 197420 June 1977[3]17thAlignment • Indep.Liberals • Ratz[11] • NRP[11]
6Menachem Begin

(1913–1992)

Herut
Likud[4]
20 June 19775 August 19811977 (9th)18thLikud • NRP • Aguda • Dash[11]
5 August 198110 October 19831981 (10th)19thLikud • NRP • Aguda • Tami • Telem/MRSZ[11] • Tehiya[11]
7Yitzhak Shamir

(1915–2012)

Herut
Likud[4]
10 October 198313 September 198420th
8Shimon Peres

(1923–2016)

Alignment
Labor
13 September 1984[5]20 October 19861984 (11th)21stAlignmentLikud • NRP • Aguda • Shas • Morasha[11] • Shinui • Ometz
(7)Yitzhak Shamir

(1915–2012)

Herut
Likud[4]
20 October 1986[5]22 December 198822nd
Likud[4]22 December 198811 June 19901988 (12th)23rdLikudAlignment • NRP • Shas • Aguda • Degel HaTorah
11 June 199013 July 199224thLikud • NRP • Shas • Aguda • Degel HaTorah • New Liberal • Tehiya • Tzomet • Moledet • UPI • Geula
(5)Yitzhak Rabin

(1922–1995)

Labor13 July 19924 November 1995[6]1992 (13th)25thLaborMeretzShas[11] • Yiud[11]
Shimon Peres

(1923–2016)

Labor4 November 1995[6]22 November 199526th
(8)22 November 199518 June 1996
9Benjamin Netanyahu

(born 1949)

Likud18 June 19966 July 19991996 (14th)27thLikud-Gesher-Tzomet • Shas • NRP • BaAliyah • UTJ • Third Way
10Ehud Barak

(born 1942)

One Israel
Labor
6 July 19997 March 20011999(15th)28thOne Israel • ShasMeretz • BaAliyah • Centre • NRP • UTJ[11]


11
Ariel Sharon

(1928–2014)

Likud7 March 200128 February 2003200129thLikudLabor-Meimad[11]Shas[11] • Centre • NRP • UTJ • BaAliyah • NU-Beiteinu • New Way • Gesher
28 February 200321 November 2005[7]2003 (16th)30thLikud • Shinui[11] • NU[11] • NRP[11]Labor-Meimad • Aguda[11]
Kadima21 November 2005[7](4 January 2006)[8]
14 April 2006
KadimaLikud[11] • Aguda
Ehud Olmert

(born 1945)

Kadima4 January 2006[8]14 April 2006
1214 April 20064 May 2006
4 May 200631 March 2009[9]2006 (17th)31stKadimaLaborShas • Gil • Beiteinu[11]
(9)Benjamin Netanyahu

(born 1949)

Likud31 March 200918 March 20132009 (18th)32ndLikudBeiteinuShasLabor/Indep.[11]Jewish HomeUTJ[11]
18 March 20136 May 20152013 (19th)33rdLikudYesh AtidThe Jewish HomeYisrael Beiteinu • Hatnuah
6 May 20159 April 20192015 (20th)34thLikudKulanuThe Jewish HomeShasUTJYisrael Beiteinu[11]
9 April 201917 May 2020April 2019 (21st)
September 2019 (22nd)
(9)17 May 202013 June 20212020 (23rd)35thLikudBlue and WhiteShasUTJLabor • Derekh Eretz[11]GesherThe Jewish Home
13Naftali Bennett

(born 1972)

Yamina13 June 202130 June 2022[10]2021 (24th)36thYesh AtidBlue and White • Yamina • LaborYisrael Beiteinu • New Hope • MeretzUnited Arab List
14Yair Lapid

(born 1963)

Yesh Atid1 July 202229 December 2022
(9)Benjamin Netanyahu

(born 1949)

Likud29 December 2022Present2022 (25th)37thLikudShasUTJ • Religious Zionists • OY • Noam

Living former Prime Ministers

As of April 2024, four former prime minister are alive:

ImageNameTerm of officeAge
Ehud Barak1999 – 200182
Ehud Olmert2006 – 200978
Naftali Bennett2021 – 202252
Yair Lapid2022 – 202260

The most recent prime minister to die was Shimon Peres, who died on September 28, 2016.

References