Leader of the Opposition (Israel)

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Leader of the Opposition
רֹאשׁ הַאוֹפּוֹזִיצְיָה
Rosh Ha-Opozitzya
Incumbent
Yair Lapid
since 2 January 2023[1]
Term lengthWhile leader of the largest political party in the Knesset that is not in government
First holderMeir Ya'ari

In Israel, the Leader of the Opposition (Hebrew: רֹאשׁ הַאוֹפּוֹזִיצְיָה, Rosh HaOpozitzya) is the politician who leads the Official Opposition in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. The Leader of the Opposition is, by convention, the leader of the largest political party in the Knesset that is not in (or supports) the government.

History[edit]

Informal role, until 2000[edit]

Until 2000, the role of the Opposition Leader was not an official position, but rather an honorary role. The Leader of the Opposition was the leader of the largest party not in government. This was either Likud or Labor, with short exceptions during national unity governments of 1967–1970 and 1984–1990.

Even with the absence of a law defining the role of the Opposition Leader, it was customary for the Prime Minister to hold regular meetings with the leader of the largest opposition party. However, it was carried out only at the prerogative of the Prime Minister.

Formalised role, post-2000[edit]

In early 2000, two bills to amend the Opposition Leader's status were submitted to the Knesset, one by the government and one by MK Uzi Landau. The bills were merged into one amendment, and on 17 July 2000, the Knesset approved Amendment 8 to the "Knesset Law" of 1994, adding chapter 6 that outlined the role of the Leader of the Opposition.[2] The law stipulates the selection of the Opposition Leader, the method of their replacement, regulates their ceremonial role in various official events, and obliges the prime minister to update them once a month. The law also stipulates that the Opposition Leader's salary will be determined by Knesset committee, and shall not be lower than a salary of a Cabinet minister.

List of Opposition leaders[edit]

Leaders of the largest opposition party[edit]

Name
(Birth–Death)
Portrait Party Term start Term end Government(s)
opposed
Prime minister(s)
opposed
Knesset
1 Meir Ya'ari
מאיר יערי
(1897–1987)
Mapam 10 March 1949 8 October 1951 1 David Ben-Gurion
(Mapai)
1st
2
2 Peretz Bernstein
פרץ ברנשטיין
(1890–1971)
General Zionists 8 October 1951 24 December 1952 3 2nd
(1) Meir Ya'ari
מאיר יערי
(1897–1987)
Mapam 24 December 1952 29 June 1955 4
5 Moshe Sharett
(Mapai)
(2) Peretz Bernstein
פרץ ברנשטיין
(1890–1971)
General Zionists 29 June 1955 3 November 1955 6
3 Menachem Begin
מנחם בגין
(1913–1992)
Herut 3 November 1955 5 June 1967 7 David Ben-Gurion
(Mapai)
3rd
8
9 4th
10 5th
11 Levi Eshkol
(Mapai 1963–1966;
Mapai/Labor Alignment 1966–1967)
12
Gahal
Herut
13 6th
4 Yitzhak-Meir Levin
יצחק-מאיר לוין
(1893–1971)
Agudat Yisrael 5 June 1967 6 August 1970 14 Golda Meir
(Labor/Alignment)
15 7th
(3) Menachem Begin
מנחם בגין
(1913–1992)
Gahal
Herut
6 August 1970 20 June 1977
Likud
Herut
16 8th
17 Yitzhak Rabin
(Labor/Alignment)
5 Shimon Peres
שמעון פרס
(1923–2016)
Alignment
Labor Party
20 June 1977 13 September 1984 18 Menachem Begin
(Herut/Likud
9th
19 10th
20 Yitzhak Shamir
(Herut/Likud)
6 Yuval Ne'eman
יובל נאמן
(1925–2006)
Tehiya-Tzomet
Tehiya
13 September 1984 22 December 1988 21 Shimon Peres
(Labor/Alignment)
11th
22 Yitzhak Shamir
(Herut/Likud 1986–1988;
Likud 1988–1992
Tehiya
7 Shulamit Aloni
שולמית אלוני
(1928–2014)
Ratz 22 December 1988 15 March 1990 23 12th
(5) Shimon Peres
שמעון פרס
(1923–2016)
Alignment
Labor Party
15 March 1990 February 1992 24
Labor Party
8 Yitzhak Rabin
יִצְחָק רַבִּין
(1922–1995)
February 1992 13 July 1992
9 Yitzhak Shamir
יצחק שמיר
(1915–2012)
Likud 13 July 1992 24 March 1993 25 Yitzhak Rabin
(Labor)
13th
10 Benjamin Netanyahu
בנימין נתניהו
(born 1949)
24 March 1993 18 June 1996
26 Shimon Peres
(Labor)
Likud-Gesher-Tzomet
Likud
(5) Shimon Peres
שמעון פרס
(1923–2016)
Labor Party 18 June 1996 1 July 1997 27 Benjamin Netanyahu
(Likud)
14th
11 Ehud Barak
אהוד ברק
(born 1942)
Labor Party 1 July 1997 6 July 1999
One Israel
Labor Party
12 Ariel Sharon
אריאל שרון
(1928–2014)
Likud 6 July 1999 30 July 2000 28 Ehud Barak
(Labor)
15th

Designated Opposition Leaders[edit]

After Amendment 8 to the "Knesset law" of 1994 was passed, the Leader of the Opposition became the person elected by the largest faction of the opposition.

Name
(Birth–Death)
Portrait Party Term start Term end Government(s)
opposed
Prime minister(s)
opposed
Knesset
12 Ariel Sharon
אריאל שרון
(1928–2014)
Likud 31 July 2000 7 March 2001 28 Ehud Barak
(Labor)
15th
13 Yossi Sarid
יוסי שריד
(1940–2015)
Meretz 7 March 2001 4 November 2002 29 Ariel Sharon
(Likud 2001–2005;
Kadima 2005–2006)
14 Binyamin Ben-Eliezer
בנימין בן אליעזר
(1936–2016)
Labor Party 4 November 2002 12 March 2003
30 16th
15 Amram Mitzna
עמרם מצנע
(born 1945)
Labor-Meimad
Labor Party
12 March 2003 13 May 2003
16 Dalia Itzik
דליה איציק
(born 1952)
13 May 2003 25 June 2003
(5) Shimon Peres
שמעון פרס
(1923–2016)
25 June 2003 10 January 2005
17 Yosef Lapid
יוסף לפיד
(1931–2008)
Shinui 10 January 2005 23 November 2005
18 Amir Peretz
עמיר פרץ
(born 1952)
Labor-Meimad
Labor Party
23 November 2005 16 January 2006
(10) Benjamin Netanyahu
בנימין נתניהו
(born 1949)
Likud 16 January 2006 17 April 2006
17 April 2006 31 March 2009 31 Ehud Olmert
(Kadima)
17th
19 Tzipi Livni
ציפי לבני
(born 1958)
Kadima 6 April 2009 2 April 2012 32 Benjamin Netanyahu
(Likud)
18th
20 Shaul Mofaz
שאול מופז
(born 1948)
Kadima 2 April 2012 9 May 2012
21 Shelly Yachimovich
שלי יחימוביץ׳
(born 1960)
Labor Party 9 May 2012 23 July 2012
(20) Shaul Mofaz
שאול מופז
(born 1948)
Kadima 23 July 2012 5 February 2013
(21) Shelly Yachimovich
שלי יחימוביץ׳
(born 1960)
Labor Party 5 February 2013 25 November 2013
33 19th
22 Isaac Herzog
יצחק הרצוג
(1960–)
25 November 2013 14 May 2015
Zionist Union
Labor Party
14 May 2015 31 July 2018 34 20th
(19) Tzipi Livni
ציפי לבני
(born 1958)
Zionist Union
Hatnuah
1 August 2018 1 January 2019
(21) Shelly Yachimovich
שלי יחימוביץ׳
(born 1960)
Labor Party 1 January 2019 30 April 2019
21st
22nd
Vacant de jure, Benny Gantz de facto 30 April 2019 17 May 2020
23 Yair Lapid
יאיר לפיד
(born 1963)
Yesh Atid 17 May 2020 6 April 2021 35 23rd
(10) Benjamin Netanyahu
בנימין נתניהו
(born 1949)
Likud 28 June 2021 29 December 2022 36 Naftali Bennett
(Yamina/New Right)
Yair Lapid
(Yesh Atid)
24th
(23) Yair Lapid
יאיר לפיד
(born 1963)
Yesh Atid 2 January 2023 Present 37 Benjamin Netanyahu
(Likud)
25th

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Leader of the Opposition Knesset
  2. ^ "Leader of the Opposition". knesset.gov.il. 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2020.

External links[edit]