Prime Minister of Israel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prime Minister of Israel |
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Prime Ministerial Standard
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| Prime Minister's Office | |
| Style | His Excellency |
| Residence | Beit Aghion |
| Nominator | President |
| Appointer | Knesset |
| Term length | Four years, renewable indefinitely |
| Inaugural holder | David Ben-Gurion |
| Formation | 14 May 1948 |
| Deputy | Alternate Prime Minister |
| Salary | US$170,000 annually |
The prime minister of Israel (Hebrew: רֹאשׁ הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה, romanized: Rosh HaMemshala, lit. 'Head of the Government') is the main leader of the State of Israel. This person is the head of government, meaning they are in charge of running the country day-to-day.
Israel is a parliamentary republic. This means the people elect representatives to a parliament, called the Knesset. The president of Israel is the head of state, but their role is mostly ceremonial. The prime minister holds the real power to make decisions and lead the government.
The prime minister's official home, called Beit Aghion, is in Jerusalem. The current prime minister is Benjamin Netanyahu. He is a member of the Likud party. He is the ninth person to hold this important job.
After an election, the president asks party leaders who they want as prime minister. The president then chooses a member of the Knesset to try and form a government. This person has 28 days to create a government that has the support of most members in the Knesset. They must then present their plans and get a "vote of confidence" from the Knesset. This means the Knesset agrees to let them take office.
Usually, the prime minister is the leader of the biggest party in the group of parties that form the government. It's very hard for one party to win enough seats in the Knesset alone. Because of this, all Israeli governments have been made up of two or more parties working together.
Contents
History of Israel's Prime Ministers
The job of prime minister began on May 14, 1948. This was the day Israel declared its independence. A temporary government was set up. David Ben-Gurion, who led the Mapai party, became Israel's first prime minister.
The position became permanent in March 1949. Ben-Gurion stayed in the role until late 1953. He then resigned to live in a Kibbutz called Sde Boker. Moshe Sharett took his place.
However, Ben-Gurion returned less than two years later. He became prime minister again. He resigned a second time in 1963. Levi Eshkol then became the leader of Mapai and prime minister. He was the first prime minister to lead the country under two party names. This happened when Mapai joined with Ahdut HaAvoda in 1965 to form the Alignment.
In 1968, Eshkol's party, the Alignment, gained a majority in the Knesset. This happened when Mapam and Rafi joined the Alignment. They had 63 out of 120 seats.
On February 26, 1969, Eshkol became the first prime minister to die while in office. Yigal Allon temporarily took over. His time as leader lasted less than a month. The party then convinced Golda Meir to return to politics. She became prime minister in March 1969. Meir was Israel's first woman prime minister. She was also the third woman prime minister in the world.
Meir resigned in 1974 after a report about the Yom Kippur War was published. Yitzhak Rabin then became prime minister. He also resigned later after some issues.
Menachem Begin became the first prime minister from a right-wing party. His Likud party won the 1977 elections. He kept the job after the 1981 elections. He resigned in 1983 due to health reasons. Yitzhak Shamir then took over.
After the 1984 elections, no single party could form a government. So, a "national unity government" was created. This meant the prime minister job would be shared. Shimon Peres served for the first two years. Shamir then replaced him halfway through the Knesset term.
The 1988 elections also led to a national unity government. But this time, Shamir was able to be prime minister alone. Rabin became prime minister for the second time in 1992. He led the Labour party to victory. After his assassination on November 4, 1995, Peres took over as prime minister.
Direct Election of the Prime Minister
Between 1996 and 2001, Israel tried a new way to choose its prime minister. People voted directly for the prime minister, separate from voting for the Knesset. This system was tried because it's very hard for one party to win a majority in the Knesset.
In 1996, the first direct election happened. Benjamin Netanyahu won, which was a surprise. Even though he won, his party didn't have the most seats in the Knesset. So, he still needed other parties to join his government.
Netanyahu's government didn't last, and new elections were called in 1999. Ehud Barak won the prime minister election. However, his party also won very few seats in the Knesset. He had to form a government with six smaller parties.
In 2001, Barak resigned. Only an election for prime minister was held. Ariel Sharon of Likud won easily. But Likud only had 21 seats in the Knesset. Sharon also had to form a "national unity government" with other parties. After this, Israel decided to go back to the old system. This meant the prime minister would again be chosen by the Knesset.
Prime Ministers from 2003 Onwards
The 2003 elections went back to the old system. Likud won many seats, and Ariel Sharon became prime minister. Later, Sharon left Likud to form a new party called Kadima. He became the first prime minister not from Labour or Likud.
In January 2006, Sharon became very ill. Ehud Olmert became the acting prime minister. After the 2006 elections, Olmert officially became prime minister.
In 2008, Olmert resigned. His party's new leader, Tzipi Livni, could not form a government. In the 2009 election, Kadima won the most seats. But Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud leader, was able to form a government. This began his second time as prime minister.
Netanyahu continued to serve as prime minister after the 2013 and 2015 elections. There were many disagreements within his government. This led to a period of political uncertainty from 2019 to 2022.
In 2021, Naftali Bennett became prime minister. He was followed by Yair Lapid in July 2022. In December 2022, Benjamin Netanyahu returned to the prime minister's job. This happened after the election held the previous month.
What Happens if a Prime Minister Can't Serve?
If a prime minister dies while in office, the government chooses an interim prime minister. This person runs the country until a new government is formed. For example, Yigal Allon became interim prime minister after Levi Eshkol died. Shimon Peres also served as interim prime minister after Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated.
If a prime minister is temporarily unable to do their job, like if they become very sick, an acting prime minister takes over. This person can serve for up to 100 days. If the prime minister is declared permanently unable to serve, or if 100 days pass, the president starts the process to form a new government. During this time, the acting prime minister or another minister chosen by the government serves as interim prime minister.
The acting and interim prime ministers have almost all the same powers as a regular prime minister. However, they cannot dissolve the Knesset (the parliament).
Prime Minister's Home
Since 1974, the official home of the prime minister has been Beit Aghion. It is located in Rehavia, a neighborhood in Jerusalem.
List of Prime Ministers
- Term of office in years
See also
In Spanish: Primer ministro de Israel para niños
- Beit Aghion
- Cabinet of Israel
- Prime Minister's Office (Israel)
