The thirty-first government of Israel was formed by Ehud Olmert on 4 May 2006, following Kadima's victory in the March elections. His coalition initially included Labor, Shas and Gil, and held 67 of the 120 seats in the Knesset. The 11-seat Yisrael Beiteinu joined the coalition in November 2006, but left on 16 January 2008 in protest at peace talks with the Palestinian National Authority.Lieberman blasts Arab MKs, pulls party out of government Haaretz, 16 January 2008 With the inclusion of the Labor Party's Raleb Majadele as a Minister without Portfolio on 29 January 2007, it became the first Israeli cabinet to have a Muslim minister. The makeup of the coalition resulted in a center-left government.
The government held office until Benjamin Netanyahu formed the thirty-second government on 31 March 2009, following elections the month before.
Cabinet members PositionPersonPartyPrime MinisterEhud OlmertKadimaVice Prime MinisterShimon Peres (until 13 June 2007)1KadimaHaim RamonKadimaActing Prime MinisterTzipi LivniKadimaDeputy Prime MinisterEhud Barak (from 18 June 2007)2Labor PartyAvigdor Lieberman (30 October 2006 – 18 January 2008)Shaul MofazKadimaAmir Peretz (until 18 June 2007)2Labor PartyEli YishaiShasMinister of AgricultureShalom SimhonLabor PartyMinister of CommunicationsAriel AtiasShasMinister of DefenseAmir Peretz (until 18 June 2007)2Labor PartyEhud Barak (from 18 June 2007)2Labor PartyMinister of Development of the Negev and GalileeShimon Peres (until 13 June 2007)1KadimaYa'akov Edri (from 4 July 2007)KadimaMinister of Diaspora, Society and the fight against Anti-semitismIsaac Herzog (from 21 March 2007)Labor PartyMinister of Education, Culture and SportYuli TamirLabor PartyMinister of the EnvironmentGideon EzraKadimaMinister of FinanceAvraham Hirschson (until 3 July 2007)KadimaRoni Bar-On (from 4 July 2007)KadimaMinister of Foreign AffairsTzipi LivniKadimaMinister of HealthYa'akov Ben-YezriGilMinister of Housing and ConstructionMeir Sheetrit (until 4 July 2007)KadimaZe'ev Boim (from 4 July 2007)KadimaMinister of Immigrant AbsorptionZe'ev Boim (until 4 July 2007)KadimaYa'akov Edri (4 July 2007 – 14 July 2008)KadimaEli Aflalo (from 14 July 2008)KadimaMinister of Industry, Trade and LabourEli YishaiShasMinister of Internal AffairsRoni Bar-On (until 4 July 2007)KadimaMeir Sheetrit (from 4 July 2007)KadimaMinister of Internal SecurityAvi DichterKadimaMinister of JusticeHaim Ramon (until 22 August 2006)KadimaTzipi Livni (29 November 2006 – 7 February 2007)KadimaDaniel FriedmannNot an MKMinister of National InfrastructureBinyamin Ben-EliezerLabor PartyMinister of Pensioner AffairsRafi EitanGilMinister of Religious AffairsYitzhak Cohen (from 14 January 2008)ShasMinister of Science, Culture and SportOphir Pines-Paz (until 1 November 2006)3Labor PartyRaleb Majadele (from 21 March 2007)Labor PartyMinister of Strategic AffairsAvigdor Lieberman (30 October 2006 – 18 January 2008)Yisrael BeiteinuMinister of TourismIsaac Herzog (until 21 March 2007)Labor PartyYisrael BeiteinuRuhama Avraham (from 14 July 2008)KadimaMinister of Transportation and Road SafetyShaul MofazKadimaMinister of Welfare and Social ServicesEhud Olmert (until 21 March 2007)KadimaIsaac Herzog (from 21 March 2007)Labor PartyMinister without PortfolioRuhama Avraham (4 July 2007 – 14 July 2008)KadimaAmi Ayalon (24 September 2007 – 16 December 2008)Labor PartyEitan Cabel (until 4 May 2007)Labor PartyYitzhak Cohen (until 14 January 2008)ShasYa'akov Edri (until 4 July 2007)KadimaRaleb Majadele (29 January – 21 March 2007)Labor PartyMeshulam NahariShasDeputy Minister of DefenseEfraim Sneh (30 October 2006 – 18 June 2007)Labor PartyMatan Vilnai (from 2 July 2007)Labor PartyDeputy Minister of Foreign AffairsMajalli Wahabi (from 29 October 2007)Kadima
1 Peres left office when elected President.
2 Barak replaced Peretz when he defeated him in the party leadership election.
3 Pines-Paz resigned from the government in protest at the inclusion of Yisrael Beiteinu.
References
External links Seventeenth Knesset: Government 31 Knesset website