# Twenty-seventh government of Israel

The twenty-seventh government of Israel was formed by Benjamin Netanyahu of Likud on 18 June 1996. Although his Likud-Gesher-Tzomet alliance won fewer seats than Labor, Netanyahu formed the government after winning the country's first ever direct election for Prime Minister, narrowly defeating incumbent Shimon Peres. This government was the first formed by an Israeli national born in the state after independence in 1948 (the seventeenth government of 1974–1977 was the first to be formed by a native-born Israeli, although Rabin was born in the territory prior to independence).
Together with Likud-Gesher-Tzomet, Netanyahu also included Shas, the National Religious Party, Yisrael BaAliyah, United Torah Judaism and the Third Way in the government, with the coalition holding 66 of the 120 seats in the Knesset. The government was also supported, but not joined, by the two-seat Moledet faction. Gesher left the coalition on 6 January 1998, but the government remained in place until 6 July 1999, when Ehud Barak formed the twenty-eighth government after defeating Netanyahu in the 1999 election for Prime Minister.

## Cabinet members

| Position | Person | Party |
| Prime Minister | Benjamin Netanyahu | Likud |
| Deputy Prime Minister | David Levy (until 6 January 1998) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Zevulun Hammer (until 20 January 1998)$^1$ | National Religious Party |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Rafael Eitan | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Moshe Katsav | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Agriculture | Rafael Eitan | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Communications | Limor Livnat | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Defense | Yitzhak Mordechai (until 25 January 1999) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Defense | Moshe Arens (from 27 January 1999) | Not an MK $^2$ |
| Minister of Education, Culture and Sport | Zevulun Hammer (until 20 January 1998)$^1$ | National Religious Party |
| Minister of Education, Culture and Sport | Yitzhak Levy (from 25 February 1998) | National Religious Party |
| Minister of Energy and Infrastructure $^4$ | Yitzhak Levy (until 8 July 1996) | National Religious Party |
| Minister of Energy and Infrastructure $^4$ | Ariel Sharon (from 8 July 1996) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of the Environment | Rafael Eitan | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Finance | Dan Meridor (until 20 June 1997) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Finance | Benjamin Netanyahu (20 June – 9 July 1997) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Finance | Ya'akov Ne'eman (9 July 1997 – 18 December 1998) | Not an MK |
| Minister of Finance | Benjamin Netanyahu (18 December 1998 – 23 February 1999) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Finance | Meir Sheetrit (from 23 February 1999) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | David Levy (until 6 January 1998) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Ariel Sharon (from 13 October 1998) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Health | Tzachi Hanegbi (until 12 November 1996) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Health | Joshua Matza (from 12 November 1996) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Housing | Benjamin Netanyahu | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Immigrant Absorption | Yuli-Yoel Edelstein | Yisrael BaAliyah |
| Minister of Industry and Trade | Natan Sharansky | Yisrael BaAliyah |
| Minister of Internal Affairs | Eli Suissa | Not an MK $^3$ |
| Minister of Internal Security | Avigdor Kahalani | Third Way |
| Minister of Justice | Ya'akov Ne'eman (until 10 August 1996) | Not an MK |
| Minister of Justice | Benjamin Netanyahu (10 August – 4 September 1996) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Justice | Tzachi Hanegbi (from 4 September 1996) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Labour and Social Welfare | Eli Yishai | Shas |
| Minister of Religious Affairs | Benjamin Netanyahu (until 7 August 1996) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Religious Affairs | Eli Suissa (7 August 1996 – 12 August 1997) | Not an MK $^3$ |
| Minister of Religious Affairs | Benjamin Netanyahu (12–22 August 1997) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Religious Affairs | Zevulun Hammer (22 August 1997 – 20 January 1998)$^1$ | National Religious Party |
| Minister of Religious Affairs | Benjamin Netanyahu (20 January – 25 February 1998) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Religious Affairs | Yitzhak Levy (25 February – 13 September 1998) | National Religious Party |
| Minister of Religious Affairs | Eli Suissa (from 13 September 1998) | Not an MK $^3$ |
| Minister of Science and Technology | Michael Eitan (until 13 July 1998) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Science and Technology | Silvan Shalom (from 13 July 1998) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Tourism | Moshe Katsav | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister of Transportation | Yitzhak Levy (until 25 February 1998) | National Religious Party |
| Minister of Transportation | Shaul Yahalom (from 25 February 1998) | National Religious Party |
| Minister without Portfolio | Shaul Amor (from 20 January 1999) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Minister for Israeli Arab Affairs | Moshe Katsav | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office | Yigal Bibi (until 7 August 1996) | National Religious Party |
| Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office | Michael Eitan (from 13 July 1998) | Likud |
| Deputy Minister of Defense | Silvan Shalom | Likud |
| Deputy Minister of Education, Culture and Sport | Moshe Peled (until 20 January 1998) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Deputy Minister of Education, Culture and Sport | Moshe Peled (28 January – 2 November 1998) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Deputy Minister of Education, Culture and Sport | Eliezer Sandberg | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Deputy Minister of Finance | David Magen (until 20 May 1997) | Likud-Gesher-Tzomet |
| Deputy Minister of Health | Shlomo Benizri | Shas |
| Deputy Minister of Housing | Meir Porush | United Torah Judaism |
| Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs | Aryeh Gamliel (13–22 August 1998) | Shas |
| Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs | Yigal Bibi (13 August 1996 – 20 January 1998) | National Religious Party |
| Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs | Aryeh Gamliel (24 August 1997 – 20 January 1998) | Shas |
| Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs | Yigal Bibi (from 25 January 1998) | National Religious Party |
| Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs | Aryeh Gamliel (from 25 January 1998) | Shas |
$^1$ Died in office.
$^2$ Although Arens was not a Knesset member at the time, he had previously been an MK for Likud.
$^3$ Although Suissa was not a Knesset member at the time, he was elected to the Knesset on the Shas list in 1999.
$^4$ The name of the post was changed to Minister of National Infrastructure on 8 July 1996.