The prime minister of Israel is the head of government and chief executive of the State of Israel.
- David Ben-Gurion (top left) was the first prime minister of Israel.
- Benjamin Netanyahu (top right) is the longest-serving and incumbent prime minister, as well as the first Israeli prime minister to be born in the State of Israel after its independence.
- Yair Lapid (bottom left) is considered the shortest-serving prime minister. If acting prime ministers are counted, however, that title goes to Yigal Allon.
- Golda Meir (bottom right) was the first female prime minister of Israel.
Since the adoption of the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948, 14 people have served as the prime minister of Israel, five of whom have served on two or three non-consecutive occasions. Additionally, one person, Yigal Allon, has served solely as an acting prime minister. The other two who have served as acting prime minister have gone on to become the prime minister. Of these individuals, Golda Meir (prime minister from 1969–74) is the only woman to have served in the office
The incumbent prime minister of Israel is Benjamin Netanyahu, who assumed office on 29 December 2022. He also held the office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. Having served for more than 18 years, Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime minister in the history of Israel.
Prime ministers of Israel (1948–present)
Legend:
Mapai/Alignment/Labor (7)
Herut/Likud (4)
Kadima (2)
Yamina (1)
Yesh Atid (1)
| No. | Name (Lifespan) | Portrait | Political party | Term of office | Elected (Knesset) | Government | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Composition | ||||||||
| 1 | David Ben-Gurion (1886–1973) | Mapai | 14 May 1948 | 10 March 1949 | — | Prov. | Mapai • Mapam • HHaM • New Aliyah • S&O • Mizrachi • Gen.Zionists • Aguda | ||
| 10 March 1949 | 1 November 1950 | 1949 (1st) | 1st | Mapai • URF • Progressives • S&O • DLN | |||||
| 1 November 1950 | 8 October 1951 | 2nd | |||||||
| 8 October 1951 | 24 December 1952 | 1951 (2nd) | 3rd | Mapai • Mizrachi • HHaM-Aguda-PAY • DLIA-P&W-A&D | |||||
| 24 December 1952 | 7 December 1953 | 4th | Mapai • Gen.Zionists • Progressive • Mizrachi • HHaM • DLIA-P&W-A&D | ||||||
| 2 | Moshe Sharett (1894–1965) | Mapai | 7 December 1953 | 26 January 1954 | |||||
| 26 January 1954 | 29 June 1955 | 5th | |||||||
| 29 June 1955 | 3 November 1955 | 6th | Mapai • Mizrachi • HHaM • DLIA-P&W-A&D | ||||||
| (1) | David Ben-Gurion (1886–1973) | Mapai | 3 November 1955 | 7 January 1958 | 1955 (3rd) | 7th | Mapai • NRP • Mapam • AHaA • Progressives • DLIA-P&W-A&D • P&D-C&B | ||
| 7 January 1958 | 17 December 1959 | 8th | |||||||
| 17 December 1959 | 2 November 1961 | 1959 (4th) | 9th | ||||||
| 2 November 1961 | 26 June 1963 | 1961 (5th) | 10th | Mapai • NRP • AHaA • PAY • P&D-C&B | |||||
| 3 | Levi Eshkol (1895–1969) | Mapai | 26 June 1963 | 22 December 1964 | 11th | ||||
| 22 December 1964 | 12 January 1966 | 12th | |||||||
| Alignment Mapai/Labor | 12 January 1966 | 26 February 1969 | 1965 (6th) | 13th | Alignment • NRP • Mapam • Indep.Liberals • PAY • P&D-C&B • Gahal • Rafi | ||||
| — | Yigal Allon (1918–1980) Acting | Alignment Labor | 26 February 1969 | 17 March 1969 | |||||
| 4 | Golda Meir (1898–1978) | Alignment Labor | 17 March 1969 | 15 December 1969 | 14th | ||||
| 15 December 1969 | 10 March 1974 | 1969 (7th) | 15th | Alignment • Gahal • NRP • Indep.Liberals • P&D-C&B | |||||
| 10 March 1974 | 3 June 1974 | 1973 (8th) | 16th | Alignment • NRP • Indep.Liberals | |||||
| 5 | Yitzhak Rabin (1922–1995) | Alignment Labor | 3 June 1974 | 20 June 1977 | 17th | Alignment • Indep.Liberals • Ratz • NRP | |||
| 6 | Menachem Begin (1913–1992) | Herut Likud | 20 June 1977 | 5 August 1981 | 1977 (9th) | 18th | Likud • NRP • Aguda • Dash | ||
| 5 August 1981 | 10 October 1983 | 1981 (10th) | 19th | Likud • NRP • Aguda • Tami • Telem/MRSZ • Tehiya | |||||
| 7 | Yitzhak Shamir (1915–2012) | Herut Likud | 10 October 1983 | 13 September 1984 | 20th | ||||
| 8 | Shimon Peres (1923–2016) | Alignment Labor | 13 September 1984 | 20 October 1986 | 1984 (11th) | 21st | Alignment • Likud • NRP • Aguda • Shas • Morasha • Shinui • Ometz | ||
| (7) | Yitzhak Shamir (1915–2012) | Herut Likud | 20 October 1986 | 22 December 1988 | 22nd | ||||
| Likud | 22 December 1988 | 11 June 1990 | 1988 (12th) | 23rd | Likud • Alignment • NRP • Shas • Aguda • Degel HaTorah | ||||
| 11 June 1990 | 13 July 1992 | 24th | Likud • NRP • Shas • Aguda • Degel HaTorah • New Liberal • Tehiya • Tzomet • Moledet • UPI • Geula | ||||||
| (5) | Yitzhak Rabin (1922–1995) | Labor | 13 July 1992 | 4 November 1995 | 1992 (13th) | 25th | Labor • Meretz • Shas • Yiud | ||
| — | Shimon Peres (1923–2016) | Labor | 4 November 1995 | 22 November 1995 | 26th | ||||
| (8) | 22 November 1995 | 18 June 1996 | |||||||
| 9 | Benjamin Netanyahu (born 1949) | Likud | 18 June 1996 | 6 July 1999 | 1996 (14th) | 27th | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet • Shas • NRP • BaAliyah • UTJ • Third Way | ||
| 10 | Ehud Barak (born 1942) | One Israel Labor | 6 July 1999 | 7 March 2001 | 1999 | (15th) | 28th | One Israel • Shas • Meretz • BaAliyah • Centre • NRP • UTJ | |
11 | Ariel Sharon (1928–2014) | Likud | 7 March 2001 | 28 February 2003 | 2001 | 29th | Likud • Labor-Meimad • Shas • Centre • NRP • UTJ • BaAliyah • NU-Beiteinu • New Way • Gesher | ||
| 28 February 2003 | 21 November 2005 | 2003 (16th) | 30th | Likud • Shinui • NU • NRP • Labor-Meimad • Aguda | |||||
| Kadima | 21 November 2005 | (4 January 2006) 14 April 2006 | Kadima • Likud • Aguda | ||||||
| — | Ehud Olmert (born 1945) | Kadima | 4 January 2006 | 14 April 2006 | |||||
| 12 | 14 April 2006 | 4 May 2006 | |||||||
| 4 May 2006 | 31 March 2009 | 2006 (17th) | 31st | Kadima • Labor • Shas • Gil • Beiteinu | |||||
| (9) | Benjamin Netanyahu (born 1949) | Likud | 31 March 2009 | 18 March 2013 | 2009 (18th) | 32nd | Likud • Beiteinu • Shas • Labor/Indep. • Jewish Home • UTJ | ||
| 18 March 2013 | 6 May 2015 | 2013 (19th) | 33rd | Likud • Yesh Atid • The Jewish Home • Yisrael Beiteinu • Hatnuah | |||||
| 6 May 2015 | 9 April 2019 | 2015 (20th) | 34th | Likud • Kulanu • The Jewish Home • Shas • UTJ • Yisrael Beiteinu | |||||
| — | 9 April 2019 | 17 May 2020 | Apr 2019 (21st) | ||||||
| Sep 2019 (22nd) | |||||||||
| (9) | 17 May 2020 | 13 June 2021 | 2020 (23rd) | 35th | Likud • Blue and White • Shas • UTJ • Labor • Derekh Eretz • Gesher • The Jewish Home | ||||
| 13 | Naftali Bennett (born 1972) | Yamina | 13 June 2021 | 30 June 2022 | 2021 (24th) | 36th | Yesh Atid • Blue and White • Yamina • Labor • Yisrael Beiteinu • New Hope • Meretz • United Arab List | ||
| 14 | Yair Lapid (born 1963) | Yesh Atid | 1 July 2022 | 29 December 2022 | |||||
| (9) | Benjamin Netanyahu (born 1949) | Likud | 29 December 2022 | Incumbent | 2022 (25th) | 37th | Likud • Shas • UTJ • Religious Zionism • Otzma Yehudit • Noam • National Unity • New Hope | ||
Tenure of office in years
List of prime ministers by tenure
As of 2026, there have been fourteen individuals to serve as prime minister of Israel across twenty one separate occasions and thirty seven distinct governments. Of these, Benjamin Netanyahu served the most separate periods (three: 1996–1999; 2009–2021; 2022 onwards), whilst Yigal Allon served solely as an acting prime minister in 1969. Golda Meir (1969–74) is the only woman to have served in the office.
The following is a list of prime ministers by total time in office:
- Benjamin Netanyahu: 18 years, 130 days as of 5 February 2026 (first tenure: 3 years and 18 days; second tenure: 12 years and 74 days; third tenure: 3 years, 38 days)
- David Ben-Gurion: 13 years and 127 days (first tenure: 5 years and 257 days; second tenure: 7 years and 235 days)
- Yitzhak Shamir: 6 years and 242 days (first tenure: 339 days; second tenure: 5 years and 268 days)
- Yitzhak Rabin: 6 years and 132 days (first tenure: 3 years and 18 days; second tenure: 3 years and 114 days)
- Menachem Begin: 6 years and 113 days
- Levi Eshkol: 5 years and 247 days
- Ariel Sharon: 5 years and 39 days
- Golda Meir: 5 years and 19 days
- Ehud Olmert: 2 years and 351 days
- Shimon Peres: 2 years and 264 days (first tenure: 2 years and 37 days; second tenure: 227 days)
- Moshe Sharett: 1 year and 281 days
- Ehud Barak: 1 year and 245 days
- Naftali Bennett: 1 year and 17 days
- Yair Lapid: 181 days
- Yigal Allon: 19 days (acting)
Timeline of prime ministers
This is a graphical lifespan timeline of prime ministers of Israel. The prime ministers are listed in order of office, with prime ministers who held the office more than once listed in order of their first term.
See also
Notes and references
Notes
- Progress and Development and Cooperation and Brotherhood, two new parties, were members of the 9th government, which was otherwise identical in composition to the 7th and 8th governments.
- For the 1965 elections, Mapai allied with Ahdut HaAvoda to form the Labor Alignment, later renamed Alignment. This first Alignment ended when Mapai, Ahdut HaAvoda and Rafi merged to form the Labor Party on 23 January 1968. On 28 January 1969, Labor formed a second Alignment in alliance with Mapam.
- Levi Eshkol died while in office. Yigal Allon briefly served as acting prime minister until he was replaced by Golda Meir.
- Gahal and Rafi joined on 5 June 1967. Rafi merged into Labor (a member of the Alignment) on 23 January 1968.
- Gahal stood down from the government on 6 August 1970.
- Yitzhak Rabin resigned and called for early elections in December 1976. After he was re-elected as the Alignment's leader, he resigned as candidate for the upcoming elections on 7 April 1977, but legally remained prime minister until Begin's first government was formed. However, Shimon Peres unofficially served as acting prime minister from 22 April 1977 until 21 June 1977.
- National Religious Party joined the government on 30 October 1970.
- Ratz stood down from the government on 6 November 1970.
- Until 1988, Likud was simply an electoral alliance between Herut and the Liberal Party, much like Alignment. A single united Likud party was only established in 1988.
- Democratic Movement for Change joined the government in October 1977.
- The Movement for the Renewal of Social Zionism was formed 6 June 1983 following the break-up of Telem.
- Tehiya joined the government on 26 August 1981
- After the 1984 elections, Likud and the Alignment reached a coalition agreement by which the role of prime minister would be rotated mid-term between them. Shimon Peres of the Alignment served as prime minister for the first two years, and then the role was passed to Yitzhak Shamir. After the 1988 election Likud was able to govern without the Alignment, and Yitzhak Shamir continued as prime minister.
- Morasha was not included in the 22nd government, which was otherwise identical in composition to the 21st government.
- Rabin was assassinated while in office. Shimon Peres served as acting prime minister until 22 November 1995.
- Shas stood down from the government on 14 September 1993
- Yiud joined on 9 January 1995.
- United Torah Judaism stood down from government in September 1999.
- Labor-Meimad left government on 2 November 2002.
- Shas left government on 23 May 2002, before returning on 3 June 2002.
- On 21 November 2005, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, along with several other ministers and MKs, split from Likud over the issue of disengagement from the Gaza Strip and negotiations over the final status of the West Bank. Sharon formed a new party, Kadima, which would go on to compete in the following elections of March 2006. Sharon continued as prime minister.
- Shinui left government on 4 December 2004
- National Union left government on 6 June 2004
- National Religious Party joined the government on 3 March 2003, before leaving on 11 November 2004
- Labor-Meimad joined the government on 10 January 2005, before leaving on 23 November 2005
- Agudat Yisrael joined the government on 30 March 2005
- As the result of Ariel Sharon suffering a severe stroke on 4 January 2006, and being put under general anesthetic, Ehud Olmert served as the Acting Prime Minister (Hebrew: ממלא מקום ראש הממשלה בפועל) from 4 January to 14 April, according to Basic Law: The Government: "Should the Prime Minister be temporarily unable to discharge his duties, his place will be filled by the Acting Prime Minister. After the passage of 100 days upon which the Prime Minister does not resume his duties, the Prime Minister will be deemed permanently unable to exercise his office." Basic Law: the Government 2001, section 16b In Sharon's case, this occurred on 14 April 2006, upon which Olmert became interim prime minister for the remainder of the 30th government, finally becoming full prime minister on the formation of the 31st government.
- Kadima broke away from Likud on 23 November 2005, leaving a government consisting of Kadima, Likud and Agudat Yisrael
- Likud left government on 15 January 2006.
- Olmert officially resigned on 21 September 2008. With this, his cabinet became an interim government, and he was Interim Prime Minister until the establishment of a new governing coalition (he was officially the Prime Minister, however, the government under him was an interim government, in this case).
- Yisrael Beiteinu joined the government in November 2006, before leaving on 16 January 2008.
- Independence broke away from Labor on 17 January 2011; Independence remained in the government and Labor stood down.
- United Torah Judaism joined the government on 1 April 2009
- Kulanu merged into Likud on 31 July 2019
- New Right split from The Jewish Home on 29 December 2018 and remained in government until 2 June 2019, returning on 8 November 2019
- The Jewish Home merged with Tkuma and Otzma Yehudit on 21 February 2019 to become the Union of Right-Wing Parties
- On 15 January 2020, New Right and URWP merged to become Yamina.
- Yisrael Beiteinu joined the government on 30 May 2016, before leaving on 18 November 2018
- Of the three Labor MKs, one (Merav Michaeli) sat in opposition
- Derekh Eretz left the government on 16 December 2020.
- Under the coalition agreement establishing the thirty-sixth government of Israel, Naftali Bennett's tenure as prime minister concluded at the end of 30 June 2022 and Yair Lapid took office at the beginning of 1 July 2022.
- Shas stood down from cabinet on 17 July 2025, but remained part of the parliamentary coalition.
- United Torah Judaism stood down from government on 15 July 2025
- Otzma Yehudit stood down on 21 January 2025 and returned on 19 March 2025.
- Noam stood down on 28 February 2023, returned on 25 May 2023, and stood down again on 24 March 2025.
- National Unity joined the government on 12 October 2023 and stood down on 9 June 2024.
- New Hope split from National Unity on 13 March 2024, stood down from the government on 25 March, and returned on 29 September 2024.
- Rabin's first tenure includes a period of 60 days at the end wherein Rabin had stepped aside and Peres was the de facto prime minister. Due to the government being a caretaker government and laws preventing caretaker prime ministers from resigning, Rabin remained prime minister de jure during the period.
- Sharon's premiership includes a period of 100 days of "temporary incapacitation" wherein Sharon retained the title of Prime Minister, but the authorities of the office were delegated to the Designated Acting Prime Minister
- Olmert's premiership excludes a period of 100 days wherein Olmert was given the authority of the Prime Minister, in his capacity as the Acting Prime Minister, while the serving prime minister was "temporarily incapacitated"
- Peres' premiership excludes a period of 60 days in 1977 wherein Peres was heading a caretaker government as de facto prime minister. Due to laws preventing a caretaker prime minister from resigning, Yitzhak Rabin was still the prime minister de jure despite surrendering his duties to Peres.
- Peres' second tenure includes a period of 18 days in November 1995 wherein he was the acting prime minister of the twenty-fifth government (the interim period between the assassination of Rabin and the formation of the twenty-sixth government)
References
- Sixteenth Knesset: Government 30 Knesset, Governments of Israel
- Basic Law: The Government (2001) Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 7 March 2001
- Mazal Mualem, Shahar Ilan, Barak Ravid (21 September 2008). "Olmert formally submits his resignation to Peres". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 21 September 2008.
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