# Fifteenth government of Israel

The fifteenth government of Israel was formed by Golda Meir on 15 December 1969 following the October elections. The government was a continuation of the national unity government formed during the previous Knesset, and consisted of the Alignment, Gahal, the National Religious Party, the Independent Liberals and the Israeli Arab parties Progress and Development and Cooperation and Brotherhood. Gahal left the coalition in early August 1970 after the government agreed to accept the Rogers Plan.
The government remained in place until 10 March 1974, when the sixteenth government took power following the December 1973 elections. It is notable for being the first government to last a full four-year Knesset term, and the first to include any non-Jewish members; On 24 May 1971 Meir appointed Abd el-Aziz el-Zoubi as Deputy Minister of Health, making him the first Israeli Arab to join the cabinet. In November that year, Druze MK Jabr Muadi also joined the cabinet as Deputy Minister of Communications.

## Cabinet members

| Position | Person | Party |
| Prime Minister | Golda Meir | Alignment |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Yigal Allon | Alignment |
| Minister of Agriculture | Haim Gvati | Alignment |
| Minister of Communications | Elimelekh Rimalt (until 6 August 1970) | Gahal |
| Minister of Communications | Shimon Peres (from 1 September 1970) | Alignment |
| Minister of Defense | Moshe Dayan | Alignment |
| Minister of Development | Haim Landau (until 6 August 1970) | Gahal |
| Minister of Development | Haim Gvati (from 6 August 1970) | Alignment |
| Minister of Education and Culture | Yigal Allon | Alignment |
| Minister of Finance | Pinhas Sapir | Alignment |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Abba Eban | Alignment |
| Minister of Health | Haim Gvati (until 27 July 1970) | Alignment |
| Minister of Health | Victor Shem-Tov (from 27 July 1970) | Not an MK $^1$ |
| Minister of Housing | Ze'ev Sherf | Alignment |
| Minister of Immigrant Absorption | Shimon Peres (until 27 July 1970) | Alignment |
| Minister of Immigrant Absorption | Natan Peled (from 27 July 1970) | Not an MK $^1$ |
| Minister of Internal Affairs | Haim-Moshe Shapira (until 16 July 1970) $^2$ | National Religious Party |
| Minister of Internal Affairs | Yosef Burg (from 16 July 1970) | Not an MK $^3$ |
| Minister of Justice | Yaakov Shimshon Shapira $^4$ | Alignment |
| Minister of Labour | Yosef Almogi | Alignment |
| Minister of Police | Shlomo Hillel | Alignment |
| Minister of Religions | Zerach Warhaftig | Not an MK $^3$ |
| Minister of Tourism | Moshe Kol | Not an MK $^5$ |
| Minister of Trade and Industry | Yosef Sapir (until 6 August 1970) | Gahal |
| Minister of Trade and Industry | Pinhas Sapir (1 September 1970 – 5 March 1972) | Alignment |
| Minister of Trade and Industry | Haim Bar-Lev (from 5 March 1972) | Not an MK $^6$ |
| Minister of Transportation | Ezer Weizman (until 6 August 1970) | Not an MK $^7$ |
| Minister of Transportation | Shimon Peres (from 1 September 1970) | Alignment |
| Minister of Welfare | Yosef Burg (until 1 September 1970) | Not an MK $^3$ |
| Minister of Welfare | Michael Hasani (from 1 September 1970) | National Religious Party |
| Minister without Portfolio | Shimon Peres (until 22 December 1969) | Alignment |
| Minister without Portfolio | Yisrael Barzilai (until 12 June 1970) $^2$ | Not an MK $^1$ |
| Minister without Portfolio | Victor Shem-Tov | Not an MK $^1$ |
| Minister without Portfolio | Menachem Begin (until 6 August 1970) | Gahal |
| Minister without Portfolio | Aryeh Dolchin (until 6 August 1970) | Not an MK $^7$ |
| Minister without Portfolio | Yisrael Galili | Alignment |
| Deputy Minister of Agriculture | Ben-Zion Halfon | Alignment |
| Deputy Minister of Communications | Jabr Muadi (from 27 October 1971) | Progress and Development |
| Deputy Minister of Education and Culture | Michael Hasani (until 1 September 1970) | National Religious Party |
| Deputy Minister of Education and Culture | Aharon Yadlin (until 26 July 1972) | Alignment |
| Deputy Minister of Education and Culture | Avner Shaki (1 September 1970 – 17 July 1972) | National Religious Party |
| Deputy Minister of Education and Culture | Zevulun Hammer (from 16 January 1973) | National Religious Party |
| Deputy Minister of Finance | Zvi Dinstein | Alignment |
| Deputy Minister of Health | Abd el-Aziz el-Zoubi (24 May 1971 – 14 February 1974) $^2$ | Alignment |
| Deputy Minister of Immigrant Absorption | Shlomo Rosen (from 20 November 1972) | Alignment |
| Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs | Yosef Goldschmidt $^8$ | National Religious Party |
| Deputy Minister of Tourism | Yehuda Sha'ari | Independent Liberals |
| Deputy Minister of Transportation | Gad Yaacobi (from 2 November 1972) | Alignment |
$^1$ Although Barzilai, Shem-Tov, Peled were not MKs at the time all had previously been MKs for Mapam, one of the constituents of the Alignment.
$^2$ Died in office.
$^3$ All National Religious Party MKs except Haim-Moshe Shapira and Michael Hasani resigned from the Knesset upon being appointed to the cabinet.
$^4$ Yaakov-Shimshon Shapira was out of office between 13 June and 12 September 1972.
$^5$ All Independent Liberal MKs resigned from the Knesset upon being appointed to the cabinet.
$^6$ Bar-Lev was later an MK for the Alignment.
$^7$ Dolchin and Weizman were Gahal members.
$^8$ Goldschmidt was out of office between 16 and 19 July 1970.