Thirty-fourth government of Israel
 34th Cabinet of Israel |
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| Incumbent | |
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| Date formed | 14 May 2015 |
|---|---|
| People and organisations | |
| Head of government | Benjamin Netanyahu |
| Head of state | Reuven Rivlin |
| Number of ministers | 21 |
| Member parties | Likud The Jewish Home Kulanu Shas United Torah Judaism |
| Status in legislature | Coalition |
| Opposition leader | Isaac Herzog |
| History | |
| Election(s) | 2015 Knesset election |
| Legislature term(s) | 20th Knesset |
| Previous | 33rd Cabinet |
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| This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Israel |
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Legislature
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The thirty-fourth government of Israel (Hebrew: מֶמְשֶׁלֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל הַשְׁלוֹשִׁים וְאַרְבַּע, Mem'shelet Yisra'el HaShloshim VeArba'ah; also known as the Fourth Netanyahu Government)[1] is the current government of Israel, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It was formed after the March 2015 Knesset elections. The coalition that makes up the government, consisting of the parties Likud, United Torah Judaism, Shas, Kulanu and the Jewish Home, was submitted to the President of Israel just before the deadline on 6 May 2015. The government ministers were introduced, approved by the Knesset and sworn in on 14 May. The government deputy ministers were sworn in on 19 May.
Between them, the parties hold 61 of the 120 seats in the Knesset. The elections that led to the formation of the government were a result of events on 2 December 2014, when Netanyahu dismissed two of his ministers whose parties' members subsequently resigned from the 33rd government of Israel, dissolving the government ahead of schedule.
Contents
Policy guidelines[edit]
The policy guidelines for the 34th government include but are not limited to:[2]
- Strengthening the rule of law
- Reducing the cost of living
- Increasing competition, especially in the financial sector, and granting easier access to credit for small and medium businesses
- Integrating disabled persons into society, in providing education and employment aid
- Advancing the peace process with the Palestinians and other neighbors while keeping Israel's national interests
Coalition agreements[edit]
Terms of coalition agreements are considered binding law in Israel.[3] As such, parties must adhere to the agreements made with the Prime Minister when the coalition was formed.
Changes to the responsibilities of official positions include the relinquishment of the Justice Minister's ability to appoint judges to religious courts. Also, the Religious Affairs Minister will not have control over affairs connected to conversion to Judaism; that will be under the purview of the Prime Minister's office.
Kulanu[edit]
Kulanu has agreed to support the implementation of the so-called Norwegian Law in Israel, allowing members of parliament to exit the Knesset upon receiving a post in the cabinet.[4]
Likud agreed to raise the salary of soldiers, give unemployment insurance to self-employed workers and set a biennial budget by October 2015.[5]
Kulanu is also permitted to vote against the coalition if it disagrees with legislation that would reform the Israeli Supreme Court.
The Jewish Home[edit]
The agreement includes an increase of NIS 630 million ($163.4 million) for the education budget, an allocation of NIS 1 billion ($259 million) to raise soldiers' pay during their third year of service, a budget increase for Ariel University, which is in the West Bank, and support for the so-called NGO bill.[6]
The agreement also stipulates that all obligations and commitments made to increase Haredi institutions will have to come from the Finance Ministry and not the Education Ministry.
Future changes[edit]
Members of the Likud party anticipate possible additions to the coalition, including Likud member Gilad Erdan, who did not accept the ministerial position that was offered to him by Netanyahu, and Avigdor Lieberman, whose Yisrael Beitenu party decided not to join the coalition. Additionally, Likud member Tzahi Hanegbi, who had to settle for a Knesset committee chairmanship, is expected to gain a ministerial position after one year, when he switches places with Ofir Akunis.[7]
Cabinet members[edit]
Deri resigned his post as Minister of the Economy reportedly over an unpopular gas monopoly deal. Netanyahu took over the portfolio and promised to speed up the deal.[8]
Deputy ministers[edit]
Security cabinet[edit]
| Minister | Party |
|---|---|
| Benjamin Netanyahu (Chairman) | Likud |
| Yuval Steinitz | Likud |
| Naftali Bennett | The Jewish Home |
| Yisrael Katz | Likud |
| Moshe Kahlon | Kulanu |
Committee chairs[edit]
| Committee | Chairman | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Deputy Speaker of the Knesset (rotation) | Oren Hazan Nava Boker Nurit Koren |
Likud |
| Deputy Speaker of the Knesset | Yisrael Eichler[9] | United Torah Judaism |
| Deputy Speaker of the Knesset | Unnamed | Shas[10] |
| Science and Technology Committee | Uri Maklev | United Torah Judaism |
| Finance Committee | Moshe Gafni | United Torah Judaism |
| Finance Committee Coalition Coordinator | Miki Zohar | Likud |
| Education, Culture, and Sports Committee | Ya'akov Margi | Shas[10] |
| Labor, Welfare and Health Committee | Eli Alaluf | Kulanu |
| Constitution, Law and Justice Committee | Ayelet Shaked | The Jewish Home[6] |
| Committee of Nuclear Energy | Yuval Steinitz | Likud |
| Committee for Foreign Affairs and Defense Coalition Chair |
Tzachi Hanegbi | Likud |
| House Committee (rotation) | Yoav Kish David Bitan (ending in 2016) Yaron Mazuz (starting in 2016) |
Likud Likud Likud |
| Committee for Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs | Avraham Neguise | Likud |
| Internal Affairs and Environment Committee | Dudu Amsalem | Likud |
| Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality | Aida Touma-Suleiman | Joint List |
| State Control Committee | Karin Elharar | Yesh Atid |
| Committee on Drug and Alcohol Abuse | ||
| Committee on Rights of the Child | ||
| Economic Affairs Committee | Eitan Cabel | Zionist Union |
| Ethics Committee | ||
| Committee on Foreign Workers | ||
| Public Petitions Committee |
Government agencies and special committees[edit]
| Agency / Committee | Chairman | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Israel Land Administration | Yoav Galant | Kulanu |
| World Zionist Organization’s Settlement Division | Uri Ariel | The Jewish Home[6] |
| Israel Atomic Energy Commission | Yuval Steinitz | Likud |
References[edit]
- ^ "ממשלת נתניהו השלישית: מפלגת השלטון הופכת". NRG. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
- ^ Tuval, Uri (May 13, 2015). "Promise to Keep Status of High Court Removed from Government Policy Guideline Document". Calcalist (in Hebrew). Retrieved May 14, 2015.
- ^ "Bennett rejects US comments on ‘Jewish state’ bill". Times of Israel.
the present government’s coalition agreement, which has the binding legal status of a contract
- ^ "Contents of coalition agreements with UTJ, Kulanu revealed". ynet.
- ^ "Securing first partners, Likud inks coalition deals with Kulanu, UTJ". The Times of Israel.
- ^ a b c "Jewish Home makes it official with Likud deal". The Times of Israel.
- ^ http://www.haaretz.com/news/israel/1.656887
- ^ ‘Struggle over democracy’: Israelis protest Netanyahu’s gas deal with US energy giant Russia Today, 8 November 2015
- ^ "Coalition talks reach another crisis point, as United Torah Judaism signs on". Haaretz. 28 April 2015.
- ^ a b "Ultra-Orthodox Shas inks deal to join coalition". The Times of Israel.
External links[edit]
- Government 34 at the Knesset website
- The 34th Government of Israel, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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