Spouse of the prime minister of Israel

Last updated
Spouse of the prime minister of Israel
בן הזוג של ראש ממשלת ישראל
Flag of Israel.svg
Sara Netanyahu (2020-01-23).jpg
Incumbent
Sara Netanyahu
since December 29, 2022
Residence Beit Aghion
Inaugural holder Paula Ben-Gurion
FormationMay 17, 1948

The spouse of the prime minister of Israel [a] refers to the wife or husband of the head of government of Israel. It is not an official position or title.

Contents

History

The spouse of Israel's prime minister assists him with ceremonial duties and performs various other functions. The wife of the current prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is Sara Netanyahu.

NamePortraitTerm beganTerm ended Prime Minister of Israel Notes
Paula Ben-Gurion Paula Ben-Gurion 1955.jpg May 17, 1948January 26, 1954 David Ben-Gurion Wife of the first Prime Minister of Israel. Born in the Russian Empire and raised in the United States. [1]
Tzippora Sharett TSypvrh SHrt.jpg January 26, 1954November 3, 1955 Moshe Sharett
Paula Ben-Gurion Paula Ben-Gurion 1955.jpg November 3, 1955June 26, 1963 David Ben-Gurion Paula Ben-Gurion's second tenure as the wife of the prime minister.
Position vacantJune 26, 1963March 3, 1964 Levi Eshkol Levi Eshkol's second wife, Elisheva Kaplan, died in 1959 before he became Israel's prime minister. On 3 March 1964 he was the first and only prime minister to marry while in office. [2]
Miriam Eshkol Miriam Eshkol.jpg March 3, 1964February 26, 1969 Levi Eshkol Miriam Eshkol maintained her job as the Knesset librarian, in addition to her roles as the wife of the prime minister. After her husband's death in office in 1969, she founded Yad Levi Eshkol in 1970 and served as its chair until 2010. [3] [4]
Ruth Allon Ruth Allon, Bestanddeelnr 928-2632 (cropped).jpg February 26, 1969March 17, 1969 Yigal Allon Her husband served as acting prime minister after Levi Eshkol died in office.
Position vacantMarch 17, 1969June 3, 1974 Golda Meir Golda Meir, Israel's only female prime minister to date, was a widow. Her husband, Morris Meyerson, died in 1951 before she became Israel's prime minister. [5]
Leah Rabin Leah Rabin 1999.jpg June 3, 1974June 20, 1977 Yitzhak Rabin First tenure as the wife of the prime minister.
Aliza Begin Mrs. Menahem Begin - NARA - 177174 (cropped2).tiff June 20, 1977November 13, 1982 Menachem Begin Aliza ( née Arnold) Begin died in November 1982 while her husband was still prime minister. The couple had been married since May 29, 1939.
Position vacantNovember 13, 1982October 10, 1983 Menachem Begin Following the death of Aliza in November 1982, Prime Minister Menachem Begin gradually withdrew from public life until his resignation in October 1983.
Shulamit Shamir Shulamit Shamir (cropped).jpg October 10, 1983September 13, 1984 Yitzhak Shamir Shamir, who was born in Bulgaria, was a social activist. This marked her first tenure as the wife of the prime minister.
Sonia Peres Flickr - Government Press Office (GPO) - Sonia and Shimon Peres (cropped).jpg September 13, 1984October 20, 1986 Shimon Peres
Shulamit Shamir Shulamit Shamir (cropped).jpg October 20, 1986July 13, 1992 Yitzhak Shamir
Leah Rabin Leah Rabin 1999.jpg July 13, 1992November 4, 1995 Yitzhak Rabin Leah Rabin's second tenure as the wife of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Her husband was assassinated on November 4, 1995.
Sonia Peres Flickr - Government Press Office (GPO) - Sonia and Shimon Peres (cropped).jpg November 4, 1995June 18, 1996 Shimon Peres
Sara Netanyahu Sara Netanyahu (40345853590) (cropped).jpg June 18, 1996July 6, 1999 Benjamin Netanyahu Netanyahu's first tenure as the wife of the prime minister
Nava Barak Nava Barak (3479) (cropped).jpg July 6, 1999March 7, 2001 Ehud Barak
Position vacantMarch 7, 2001January 4, 2006 Ariel Sharon Ariel Sharon's second wife, Lily Sharon, died in March 2000 before he became prime minister. [6] [7]
Aliza Olmert Alisa Olmert (cropped).jpg January 4, 2006March 31, 2009 Ehud Olmert Alisa Olmert is an artist, photographer, author and social worker born in Germany to Holocaust survivors from Poland.
Sara Netanyahu Sara Netanyahu (40345853590) (cropped).jpg March 31, 2009June 13, 2021 Benjamin Netanyahu Netanyahu's second tenure as the wife of the prime minister
Gilat Bennett gylt bnt.jpg June 13, 2021July 1, 2022 Naftali Bennett Bennett rarely appeared in public. She was seen next to her husband a few times and spoke twice in the Knesset. [8] [9]
Lihi Lapid Lihilapid.jpg July 1, 2022December 29, 2022 Yair Lapid
Sara Netanyahu Sara Netanyahu (40345853590) (cropped).jpg December 29, 2022Present Benjamin Netanyahu Netanyahu's third tenure as the wife of the prime minister

See also

Notes

  1. Hebrew: בן הזוג של ראש ממשלת ישראל, Arabic: زوجة رئيس وزراء إسرائيل

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prime Minister of Israel</span> Head of government of Israel

The prime minister of Israel is the head of government and chief executive of the State of Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shimon Peres</span> Israeli prime minister (1923–2016)

Shimon Peres was an Israeli politician and statesman who served as the eighth prime minister of Israel from 1984 to 1986 and from 1995 to 1996 and as the ninth president of Israel from 2007 to 2014. He was a member of twelve cabinets and represented five political parties in a political career spanning 70 years. Peres was elected to the Knesset in November 1959 and except for three months out of office in early 2006, served as a member of the Knesset continuously until he was elected president in 2007. Serving in the Knesset for 48 years, Peres is the longest serving member in the Knesset's history. At the time of his retirement from politics in 2014, he was the world's oldest head of state and was considered the last link to Israel's founding generation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benjamin Netanyahu</span> Prime Minister of Israel (1996–1999; 2009–2021; since 2022)

Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is an Israeli politician who is serving as the prime minister of Israel since 2022, having previously held the office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime minister in Israel's history, having served a total of over 17 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Levi Eshkol</span> Prime Minister of Israel from 1963 to 1969

Levi Eshkol, born Levi Yitzhak Shkolnik, was an Israeli statesman who served as the third Prime Minister of Israel from 1963 until his death from a heart attack in 1969. A founder of the Israeli Labor Party, he served in numerous senior roles, including Minister of Defense (1963–1967) and Minister of Finance (1952–1963).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Likud</span> Major Israeli right-wing political party

Likud, officially known as Likud – National Liberal Movement, is a major right-wing political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon in an alliance with several right-wing parties. Likud's landslide victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had lost power. In addition, it was the first time in Israel that a right-wing party received the most votes. After ruling the country for most of the 1980s, the party lost the Knesset election in 1992. Likud's candidate Benjamin Netanyahu won the vote for prime minister in 1996 and was given the task of forming a government after the 1996 elections following Yitzak Rabin's assassination. Netanyahu's government fell apart after a vote of no confidence, which led to elections being called in 1999 and Likud losing power to the One Israel coalition led by Ehud Barak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel Prize</span> Award given by the State of Israel

The Israel Prize is an award bestowed by the State of Israel, and regarded as the state's highest cultural honor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel–Uganda relations</span> Bilateral relations

Israel–Uganda relations refers to the current and historical relationship between Israel and Uganda. Neither country has a resident ambassador. Uganda has a non-resident ambassador in Cairo.

Events in the year 2009 in the Palestinian territories.

Events in the year 2012 in Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sara Netanyahu</span> Wife of the Prime Minister of Israel

Sara Netanyahu is the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. By profession, she is an educational and career psychologist. She is the spouse of the Prime Minister of Israel holding the role for her third time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naftali Bennett</span> Prime Minister of Israel from 2021 to 2022

Naftali Bennett is an Israeli politician who served as the 13th prime minister of Israel from 13 June 2021 to 30 June 2022, and as the 3rd Alternate Prime Minister of Israel from 1 July to 8 November 2022. Bennett was the leader of the New Right party from 2018 to 2022, having previously led The Jewish Home party between 2012 and 2018.

Ashkenazi Jews in Israel refers to immigrants and descendants of Ashkenazi Jews, who now reside within the state of Israel, in the modern sense also referring to Israeli Jewish adherents of the Ashkenazi Jewish tradition. As of 2013, they number 2.8 million and constitute one of the largest Jewish ethnic divisions in Israel, in line with Mizrahi and Sephardi Jews. Ashkenazim, excluding those who migrated from the former USSR, are estimated to be 31.8% of the Israeli population in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miriam Eshkol</span>

Miriam Eshkol was the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol. In her years as the Prime Minister's wife (1964–1969) she was closely followed by the public and press, leading numerous public organization in promotion of public causes. Following Levi Eshkol's passing she founded and chaired Yad Levi Eshkol and served as its chairwoman from 1970 to 2008.

The following lists events in the year 2018 in Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Right (Israel)</span> Political party in Israel

The New Right is a right-wing political party in Israel, established in December 2018 by Ayelet Shaked and Naftali Bennett. The New Right aims to be a right-wing party open to both religious and secular people. The party did not win any seats in the April 2019 election, though it won three seats in the subsequent election of September 2019, retained these in the March 2020 election and increased to seven seats in the 2021 Israeli legislative election. It is currently the sole member of the Yamina alliance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–2022 Israeli political crisis</span> Political crisis in Israel

The 2018–2022 Israeli political crisis was a period of political instability in Israel, in which five Knesset snap elections were held in a span of over three years: in April 2019, September 2019, March 2020, March 2021 and November 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilat Bennett</span> Israeli chef (born 1977)

Gilat Ethel Bennett is an Israeli pastry chef and parent counselor who is the wife of former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

The 2015 The Jewish Home leadership election was held on 14 January 2015 to elect the leader of The Jewish Home party. The election took place in advance of the 2015 Israeli legislative election. Incumbent leader Naftali Bennett was handily reelected.

References

  1. "Mrs. Paula Ben-Gurion Dies in Beersheba Hospital After Long Illness". Jewish Telegraphic Agency . 1968-01-30. Archived from the original on 2019-07-16. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  2. "Eshkol, 68, Expected To Take Bride of 34". New York Times . 1964-03-03. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  3. Pileggi, Tamar (2016-11-26). "Miriam Eshkol, wife of Israel's 3rd prime minister, dies at 87". Times of Israel . Archived from the original on 2017-02-11. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  4. Aderet, Ofer (2016-11-28). "Miriam Eshkol, Wife of Former Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, Dies at 89". Haaretz . Archived from the original on 2018-02-01. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  5. O'Malley, JP (2017-11-27). "Who (or what) was Golda Meir's one true love? A new biography has answers". Times of Israel . Archived from the original on 2019-06-09. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  6. Ben-David, Calev; Gwen (12 January 2014). "Ariel Sharon, Israeli Warrior Who Vacated Gaza, Dies at 85". Bloomberg News . Archived from the original on 12 January 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  7. "Sharon, Through the Years". New York Times . 2014-01-11. Archived from the original on 2018-10-11. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  8. "גילת בנט בהופעת בכורה פומבית: "קול שלא מספיק נשמע" - מקור ראשון". Makorrishon.co.il. 2022-03-27. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  9. "גילת בנט: "כשאישה לובשת מלכות היא מייצרת מציאות"".