# Ministry of Science, Technology and Space

The Ministry of Science and Technology is a government ministry in Israel, headed by the Science and Technology Minister. The portfolio has been renamed several times since its creation, and has previously included Culture and Sport, which is now the responsibility of the Culture and Sport Ministry. In April 2013, the Ministry added "Space" to its name to promote space research and technology.
The ministry is responsible for defining national policy on issues related to Science and technology in Israel, and promoting scientific and technological research, infrastructure and projects. In addition, under its jurisdiction, it acts to develop human capital, increase the social and economic vigor of Israeli society, and maintain equal opportunity in all areas of science and technology. Amongst its goals, the Ministry constitutes a connecting link between basic research, applied research and industrial development. Another central goal of the Ministry is to strengthen as well as initiate international scientific collaborations with other countries and international organization.

## List of ministers

| # | Minister | Party | Government | Term start | Term end | Notes |
| Minister of Science and Development |||||||
| 1 | Yuval Ne'eman | Tehiya | 19 | 26 July 1982 | 10 October 1983 | |
| Minister of Science and Technology |||||||
| – | Yuval Ne'eman | Tehiya | 20 | 10 October 1983 | 13 September 1984 | |
| Minister of Science and Development |||||||
| 2 | Gideon Patt | Likud | 21, 22 | 13 September 1984 | 22 December 1988 | |
| Minister of Science and Technology |||||||
| 3 | Ezer Weizman | Alignment | 23 | 22 December 1988 | 15 March 1990 | |
| – | Yuval Ne'eman | Likud | 24 | 11 June 1990 | 21 January 1992 | |
| 4 | Amnon Rubinstein | Meretz | 25 | 13 July 1992 | 31 December 1992 | |
| 5 | Shimon Shetreet | Labor Party | 25 | 13 July 1992 | 7 June 1993 | |
| Minister of Science and the Arts |||||||
| 6 | Shulamit Aloni | Meretz | 26, 26 | 7 June 1993 | 18 June 1996 | |
| Minister of Science |||||||
| 7 | Ze'ev Binyamin Begin | Likud | 27 | 18 June 1996 | 16 January 1997 | |
| 8 | Benjamin Netanyahu | Likud | 27 | 18 June 1996 | 9 July 1997 | Serving Prime Minister |
| Minister of Science and Technology |||||||
| 9 | Michael Eitan | Likud | 27 | 9 July 1997 | 13 July 1998 | |
| 10 | Silvan Shalom | Likud | 27 | 13 July 1998 | 6 July 1999 | |
| Minister of Science |||||||
| 11 | Ehud Barak | One Israel | 28 | 6 July 1999 | 5 August 1999 | Serving Prime Minister |
| Minister of Science, Culture and Sport |||||||
| 12 | Matan Vilnai | One Israel Labor Party | 28, 29 | 5 August 1999 | 2 November 2002 | |
| Minister of Science and Technology |||||||
| 13 | Eliezer Sandberg | Shinui | 30 | 28 February 2003 | 19 July 2004 | |
| 14 | Ilan Shalgi | Shinui | 30 | 24 July 2004 | 29 November 2004 | |
| 15 | Victor Brailovsky | Shinui | 30 | 29 November 2004 | 4 December 2004 | |
| – | Matan Vilnai | Labor Party | 30 | 28 August 2005 | 23 November 2005 | Initially Acting, appointed permanently on 7 November |
| 16 | Roni Bar-On | Kadima | 30 | 18 January 2006 | 4 May 2006 | |
| Minister of Science, Culture and Sport |||||||
| 17 | Ophir Pines-Paz | Labor Party | 31 | 4 May 2006 | 1 November 2006 | |
| 18 | Yuli Tamir | Labor Party | 31 | 5 November 2006 | 21 March 2007 | Acting Minister |
| 19 | Raleb Majadele | Labor Party | 31 | 21 March 2007 | 31 March 2009 | |
| Minister of Science and Technology |||||||
| 20 | Daniel Hershkowitz | The Jewish Home | 32 | 31 March 2009 | 18 March 2013 | |
| Minister of Science, Technology and Space |||||||
| 21 | Yaakov Peri | Yesh Atid | 33 | 18 March 2013 | 4 December 2014 | |
| 22 | Danny Danon | Likud | 34 | 14 May 2015 | 27 August 2015 | |
| 23 | Ofir Akunis | Likud | 34 | 27 August 2015 | 17 May 2020 | |
| 24 | Yizhar Shai | Blue and White | 35 | 17 May 2020 | 12 January 2021 | |
| 25 | Orit Farkash-Hacohen | Blue and White | 36 | 13 June 2021 | 29 December 2022 | |
| 26 | Ofir Akunis | Likud | 37 | 29 December 2022 | 18 March 2024 | |
| 27 | Gila Gamliel | Likud | 37 | 18 March 2024 | | |

### Deputy ministers

| # | Minister | Party | Government | Term start | Term end |
| 1 | Geula Cohen | Tehiya | 24 | 25 June 1990 | 31 October 1991 |
| 2 | Tzipi Hotovely | Likud | 33 | 29 December 2014 | 14 May 2015 |