# Twenty-eighth government of Israel

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

| Position | Person | Party |
| Prime Minister | Ehud Barak | One Israel |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Yitzhak Mordechai (until 20 May 2000) | Centre Party |
| Deputy Prime Minister | David Levy (until 4 August 2000) | Gesher |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Binyamin Ben-Eliezer | One Israel |
| Minister in the Prime Minister's Office | Haim Ramon | One Israel |
| Minister of Agriculture | Haim Oron (5 August 1999 - 24 June 2000) | Meretz |
| Minister of Agriculture | Ehud Barak (from 24 June 2000) | One Israel |
| Minister of Communications | Binyamin Ben-Eliezer | One Israel |
| Minister of Defense | Ehud Barak | One Israel |
| Minister of Education, Culture and Sport | Yossi Sarid (until 24 June 2000) | Meretz |
| Minister of Education, Culture and Sport | Ehud Barak (from 24 September 2000) | One Israel |
| Minister of the Environment | Dalia Itzik | One Israel |
| Minister of Finance | Avraham Shochat | One Israel |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | David Levy (until 4 August 2000) | One Israel |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Shlomo Ben Ami (from 2 November 2000) | One Israel |
| Minister of Health | Shlomo Benizri (until 11 July 2000) | Shas |
| Minister of Health | Roni Milo (from 10 August 2000) | Centre Party |
| Minister of Housing and Construction | Yitzhak Levy (until 12 July 2000) | National Religious Party |
| Minister of Housing and Construction | Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (from 11 October 2000) | One Israel |
| Minister of Immigrant Absorption | Ehud Barak (until 5 August 1999) | One Israel |
| Minister of Immigrant Absorption | Yuli Tamir (from 5 August 1999) | Not an MK $^1$ |
| Minister of Industry and Trade | Ran Cohen (until 24 June 2000) | Meretz |
| Minister of Industry and Trade | Ehud Barak (from 24 September 2000) | One Israel |
| Minister of Internal Affairs | Natan Sharansky (until 11 July 2000) | Yisrael BaAliyah |
| Minister of Internal Affairs | Haim Ramon (from 11 October 2000) | One Israel |
| Minister of Internal Security | Shlomo Ben-Ami | One Israel |
| Minister of Justice | Yossi Beilin | One Israel |
| Minister of Labour and Social Welfare | Eli Yishai (until 11 July 2000) | Shas |
| Minister of Labour and Social Welfare | Ra'anan Cohen (from 10 August 2000) | One Israel |
| Minister of National Infrastructure | Eli Suissa (until 11 July 2000) | Shas |
| Minister of National Infrastructure | Avraham Shochat (from 11 October 2000) | One Israel |
| Minister of Regional Co-operation | Shimon Peres | One Israel |
| Minister of Religious Affairs | Yitzhak Cohen (until 11 July 2000) | Shas |
| Minister of Religious Affairs | Yossi Beilin (from 11 October 2000) | One Israel |
| Minister of Science $^2$ | Ehud Barak (until 5 August 1999) | One Israel |
| Minister of Science $^2$ | Matan Vilnai (from 5 August 1999) | One Israel |
| Minister of Social and Diaspora Affairs | Michael Melchior | One Israel |
| Minister of Tourism | Ehud Barak (until 5 August 1999) | One Israel |
| Minister of Tourism | Amnon Lipkin-Shahak (from 5 August 1999) | Center Party |
| Minister of Transportation | Yitzhak Mordechai (until 30 May 2000) | Centre Party |
| Minister of Transportation | Amnon Lipkin-Shahak (from 11 October 2000) | Center Party |
| Deputy Minister of Communications | Yitzhak Vaknin (until 11 July 2000) | Shas |
| Deputy Minister of Defense | Efraim Sneh | One Israel |
| Deputy Minister of Education | Meshulam Nahari (until 11 July 2000) | Shas |
| Deputy Minister of Education | Shaul Yahalom (until 12 July 2000) | National Religious Party |
| Deputy Minister of Finance | Nissim Dahan (until 11 July 2000) | Shas |
| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs | Nawaf Massalha | One Israel |
| Deputy Minister of Immigrant Absorption | Marina Solodkin (until 11 July 2000) | Yisrael BaAliyah |
| Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs | Yigal 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.