List of Knesset speakers
The Speaker of the Knesset (Hebrew: יוֹשֵׁב רֹאשׁ הכנסת, Yoshev Rosh HaKnesset, literally: Chairman of the Knesset) is the presiding officer of the Knesset, the unicameral legislature of Israel. The Speaker also acts as President of Israel when the President is incapacitated. The current speaker is Yariv Levin, who was elected on 17 May 2020.
Knesset speaker
יוֹשֵׁב רֹאשׁ הכנסת Yoshev Rosh HaKnesset | |
---|---|
Formation | 14 February 1949 |
First holder | Yosef Sprinzak |
To date, Ahdut HaAvoda's Nahum Nir and Blue & White's Benny Gantz are the only Speakers not to have come from the ruling party, though in two cases (Avraham Burg and Reuven Rivlin) the party of the speaker (One Israel and Likud respectively) lost power during their term.
The speaker is expected to act in a non-partisan nature, but may occasionally take part in debates, and is allowed to vote.
The speaker is assisted by a number of Deputy Speakers of the Knesset (currently 10). The Deputy Speakers are drawn from the breadth of parties represented in the Knesset. Together, the Speaker and the Deputy Speakers constitute the Praesidium of the Knesset.
Knesset Speakers (1949–present)
A total of sixteen people have served as Speaker of the Knesset, one of whom, Reuven Rivlin, have served two non-consecutive terms.
Speaker | Knesset | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of Office | Political Party | ||
1 | Yosef Sprinzak יוסף שפרינצק (1885–1959) | 14 February 1949 | 28 January 1959 | Mapai | 1, 2, 3 | |
2 | Nahum Nir נחום ניר (1884–1968) | 2 March 1959 | 30 November 1959 | Ahdut HaAvoda | 3 | |
3 | Kadish Luz קדיש לוז (1895–1972) | 30 November 1959 | 17 November 1969 | Mapai, Alignment | 4, 5, 6 | |
4 | Reuven Barkat ראובן ברקת (1906–1972) | 17 November 1969 | 5 April 1972 | Alignment | 7 | |
5 | Yisrael Yeshayahu Sharabi ישראל ישעיהו שרעבי (1908–1979) | 9 May 1972 | 13 June 1977 | Alignment | 7, 8 | |
6 | Yitzhak Shamir יצחק שמיר (1915–2012) | 13 June 1977 | 10 March 1980 | Likud | 9 | |
7 | Yitzhak Berman יצחק ברמן (1913–2013) | 12 March 1980 | 20 July 1981 | Likud | 9 | |
8 | Menachem Savidor מנחם סבידור (1917–1988) | 20 July 1981 | 13 August 1984 | Likud | 10 | |
9 | Shlomo Hillel שלמה הלל (1923–) | 11 September 1984 | 20 November 1988 | Alignment | 11 | |
10 | Dov Shilansky דב שילנסקי (1924–2010) | 21 November 1988 | 13 July 1992 | Likud | 12 | |
11 | Shevah Weiss שבח וייס (1935–) | 13 July 1992 | 24 June 1996 | Labor | 13 | |
12 | Dan Tichon דן תיכון (1937–) | 24 June 1996 | 7 June 1999 | Likud | 14 | |
13 | Avraham Burg אברהם בורג (1955–) | 6 July 1999 | 17 February 2003 | One Israel, Labor | 15 | |
14 | Reuven Rivlin ראובן ריבלין (1939–) | 19 February 2003 | 4 May 2006 | Likud | 16 | |
15 | Dalia Itzik דליה איציק (1952–) | 4 May 2006 | 30 March 2009 | Kadima | 17 | |
(14) | Reuven Rivlin ראובן ריבלין (1939–) | 30 March 2009 | 5 February 2013 | Likud | 18 | |
16 | Yuli-Yoel Edelstein יולי-יואל אדלשטיין (1958–) | 18 March 2013 | 25 March 2020 | Likud | 19, 20, 21, 22 | |
17 | Benny Gantz בני גנץ (1959–) | 26 March 2020 | 17 May 2020 | Blue & White | 23 | |
18 | Yariv Levin יריב לוין (1969–) | 17 May 2020 | Incumbent | Likud | 23 | |
References
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Speakers of the Knesset. |