Leader of the Opposition (Israel)

The Leader of the Opposition (Hebrew: יוֹשֵׁב רֹאשׁ הַאוֹפּוֹזִיצְיָה, Yoshev Rosh Ha-Opozitzya) is the politician who leads the Official Opposition in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.

Leader of the Opposition
יוֹשֵׁב רֹאשׁ הַאוֹפּוֹזִיצְיָה
Yoshev Rosh Ha-Opozitzya
Incumbent
Yair Lapid

since 17 May 2020
Term lengthWhile leader of the largest political party not in government
First holderMeir Ya'ari

History

Informal role, until 2000

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

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.[1] 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

Leaders of the largest opposition party

Name
(Birth–Death)
Portrait Political Party Term
Meir Ya'ari
מאיר יערי
(1897–1987)
Mapam1949 – 1951
Peretz Bernstein
פרץ ברנשטיין
(1890–1971)
General Zionists1951 – 1952
Meir Ya'ari
מאיר יערי
(1897–1987)
Mapam1952 – 1955
Peretz Bernstein
פרץ ברנשטיין
(1890–1971)
General Zionists1955
Menachem Begin
מנחם בגין
(1913–1992)
Herut/Gahal1955 – 1967
Meir Ya'ari
מאיר יערי
(1897–1987)
Mapam1967 – 1969
Yitzhak-Meir Levin
יצחק-מאיר לוין
(1893–1971)
Agudat Yisrael1969 – 1970
Menachem Begin
מנחם בגין
(1913–1992)
Likud1970 – 1977
Shimon Peres
שמעון פרס
(1923–2016)
Alignment1977 – 1984
Yuval Ne'eman
יובל נאמן
(1925–2006)
Tehiya1984 – 1988
Shulamit Aloni
שולמית אלוני
(1928–2014)
Ratz1988 – 1990
Shimon Peres
שמעון פרס
(1923–2016)
Labor1990 – 1992
Yitzhak Shamir
יצחק שמיר
(1915–2012)
Likud1992 – 1993
Benjamin Netanyahu
בנימין נתניהו
(1949–)
Likud1993 – 1996
Shimon Peres
שמעון פרס
(1923–2016)
Labor1996 – 1997
Ehud Barak
אהוד ברק
(1942–)
Labor1997 – 1999
Ariel Sharon
אריאל שרון
(1928–2014)
Likud1999 – 2000

Designated Opposition Leaders

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 Political Party Term
Ariel Sharon
אריאל שרון
(1928–2014)
Likud30 July 2000 – 7 March 2001
Yossi Sarid
יוסי שריד
(1940–2015)
Meretz7 March 2001 – 4 November 2002
Binyamin Ben-Eliezer
בנימין בן אליעזר
(1936–2016)
Labor4 November 2002 – 28 February 2003
Amram Mitzna
עמרם מצנע
(1945–)
Labor28 February 2003 – 13 May 2003
Dalia Itzik
דליה איציק
(1952–)
Labor13 May 2003 – 25 June 2003
Shimon Peres
שמעון פרס
(1923–2016)
Labor25 June 2003 – 10 January 2005
Yosef Lapid
יוסף לפיד
(1931–2008)
Shinui10 January 2005 – 23 November 2005
Amir Peretz
עמיר פרץ
(1952–)
Labor23 November 2005 – 16 January 2006
Benjamin Netanyahu
בנימין נתניהו
(1949–)
Likud16 January 2006 – 6 April 2009
Tzipi Livni
ציפי לבני
(1958–)
Kadima6 April 2009 – 2 April 2012
Shaul Mofaz
שאול מופז
(1948–)
Kadima2 April 2012 – 9 May 2012
Shelly Yachimovich
שלי יחימוביץ׳
(1960–)
Labor9 May 2012 – 23 July 2012
Shaul Mofaz
שאול מופז
(1948–)
Kadima23 July 2012 – 5 February 2013
Shelly Yachimovich
שלי יחימוביץ׳
(1960–)
Labor5 February 2013 – 25 November 2013
Isaac Herzog
יצחק הרצוג
(1960–)
Zionist Union
(Labor)
25 November 2013 – 31 July 2018
Tzipi Livni
ציפי לבני
(1958–)
Zionist Union
(Hatnuah)
1 August 2018 – 1 January 2019
Shelly Yachimovich
שלי יחימוביץ׳
(1960–)
Labor1 January 2019 – 30 April 2019
Vacant[lower-alpha 1]30 April 2019 – 17 May 2020
Yair Lapid
יאיר לפיד
(1963–)
Yesh Atid-Telem
(Yesh Atid)
17 May 2020 – Present

Notes

  1. No coalition was formed during the 2019–20 Israeli political crisis

References

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