The twenty-eighth government of Israel was formed by Ehud Barak of One Israel on 6 July 1999 after his victory in the May election for Prime Minister. Alongside One Israel (an alliance of the Labor Party, Meimad and Gesher), Barak included Shas, Meretz, Yisrael BaAliyah, the Centre Party, the National Religious Party and United Torah Judaism in his coalition. The parties formed a center-left coalition. United Torah Judaism left the government in September 1999 due to a dispute over the transport of a turbine on Shabbat.

Following the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, the government began to fall apart. Barak called a special election for Prime Minister in February 2001, which he lost to Likud leader Ariel Sharon. Sharon went on to form the twenty-ninth government on 7 March.

Cabinet members

PositionPersonParty
Prime MinisterEhud BarakOne Israel
Deputy Prime MinisterYitzhak Mordechai (until 20 May 2000)Centre Party
David Levy (until 4 August 2000)Gesher
Binyamin Ben-EliezerOne Israel
Minister in the Prime Minister's OfficeHaim RamonOne Israel
Minister of AgricultureHaim Oron (5 August 1999 - 24 June 2000)Meretz
Ehud Barak (from 24 June 2000)One Israel
Minister of CommunicationsBinyamin Ben-EliezerOne Israel
Minister of DefenseEhud BarakOne Israel
Minister of Education, Culture and SportYossi Sarid (until 24 June 2000)Meretz
Ehud Barak (from 24 September 2000)One Israel
Minister of the EnvironmentDalia ItzikOne Israel
Minister of FinanceAvraham ShochatOne Israel
Minister of Foreign AffairsDavid Levy (until 4 August 2000)One Israel
Shlomo Ben Ami (from 2 November 2000)One Israel
Minister of HealthShlomo Benizri (until 11 July 2000)Shas
Roni Milo (from 10 August 2000)Centre Party
Minister of Housing and ConstructionYitzhak Levy (until 12 July 2000)National Religious Party
Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (from 11 October 2000)One Israel
Minister of Immigrant AbsorptionEhud Barak (until 5 August 1999)One Israel
Yuli Tamir (from 5 August 1999)Not an MK 1
Minister of Industry and TradeRan Cohen (until 24 June 2000)Meretz
Ehud Barak (from 24 September 2000)One Israel
Minister of Internal AffairsNatan Sharansky (until 11 July 2000)Yisrael BaAliyah
Haim Ramon (from 11 October 2000)One Israel
Minister of Internal SecurityShlomo Ben-AmiOne Israel
Minister of JusticeYossi BeilinOne Israel
Minister of Labour and Social WelfareEli Yishai (until 11 July 2000)Shas
Ra'anan Cohen (from 10 August 2000)One Israel
Minister of National InfrastructureEli Suissa (until 11 July 2000)Shas
Avraham Shochat (from 11 October 2000)One Israel
Minister of Regional Co-operationShimon PeresOne Israel
Minister of Religious AffairsYitzhak Cohen (until 11 July 2000)Shas
Yossi Beilin (from 11 October 2000)One Israel
Minister of Science 2Ehud Barak (until 5 August 1999)One Israel
Matan Vilnai (from 5 August 1999)One Israel
Minister of Social and Diaspora AffairsMichael MelchiorOne Israel
Minister of TourismEhud Barak (until 5 August 1999)One Israel
Amnon Lipkin-Shahak (from 5 August 1999)Center Party
Minister of TransportationYitzhak Mordechai (until 30 May 2000)Centre Party
Amnon Lipkin-Shahak (from 11 October 2000)Center Party
Deputy Minister of CommunicationsYitzhak Vaknin (until 11 July 2000)Shas
Deputy Minister of DefenseEfraim SnehOne Israel
Deputy Minister of EducationMeshulam Nahari (until 11 July 2000)Shas
Shaul Yahalom (until 12 July 2000)National Religious Party
Deputy Minister of FinanceNissim Dahan (until 11 July 2000)Shas
Deputy Minister of Foreign AffairsNawaf MassalhaOne Israel
Deputy Minister of Immigrant AbsorptionMarina Solodkin (until 11 July 2000)Yisrael BaAliyah
Deputy Minister of Religious AffairsYigal Bibi (until 12 July 2000)National Religious Party

1 Although Tamir was not a Knesset member at the time, she was later elected to the Knesset on the Labor Party list.

2 The name of the post was changed to Minister of Science, Culture and Sport when Vilnai took office.

External links

  • Knesset website