# Thirtieth government of Israel

The thirtieth government of Israel was formed by Ariel Sharon on 28 February 2003, following Likud's comprehensive victory in the January elections. His coalition initially included Shinui and the National Union, holding 60 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, whilst the two-seat Yisrael BaAliyah merged into Likud shortly after. The National Religious Party also joined the coalition on 3 March 2003, taking the number of seats it held up to 66. The parties formed a center-right coalition.
The government became increasingly unstable due to the Gaza disengagement plan, with the National Union leaving the coalition on 6 June 2004, and the National Religious Party following on 11 November. On 4 December Shinui also left the government following disagreements over the budget. On 10 January 2005, Labor–Meimad joined the government, and was joined by Agudat Yisrael on 30 March.
On 23 November 2005 Sharon and several other ministers left Likud to establish Kadima (initially known as National Responsibility), remaining in control of the government. Although Labor-Meimad left the government on the same day, Sharon remained in control until suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006, at which point Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert took temporary control. Although Likud left the government on 15 January, Olmert became Interim Prime Minister on 16 April, and remained head of the government until he formed the thirty-first government on 4 May 2006, following Kadima's victory in the March elections.

## Cabinet members

| Position | Person | Party |
| Prime Minister | Ariel Sharon (until 16 April 2006) | Likud, Kadima |
| Prime Minister | Ehud Olmert (interim from 16 April 2006) | Kadima |
| Vice Prime Minister | Shimon Peres (10 January - 23 November 2005) | Labor-Meimad |
| Acting Prime Minister | Ehud Olmert (until 16 April 2006) | Likud, Kadima |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Tommy Lapid (until 4 December 2004) | Shinui |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Silvan Shalom (until 15 January 2006) | Likud |
| Minister of Agriculture | Israel Katz (until 14 January 2006) | Likud |
| Minister of Agriculture | Ze'ev Boim (from 18 January 2006) | Kadima |
| Minister of Communications | Ariel Sharon (until 17 August 2003) | Likud |
| Minister of Communications | Ehud Olmert (29 September 2003 - 10 January 2005) | Likud |
| Minister of Communications | Dalia Itzik (10 January - 23 November 2005) | Labor-Meimad |
| Minister of Communications | Avraham Hirschson (from 18 January 2006) | Kadima |
| Minister of Defense | Shaul Mofaz | Not an MK |
| Minister of Education, Culture and Sport | Limor Livnat (until 14 January 2006) | Likud |
| Minister of Education, Culture and Sport | Meir Sheetrit (from 18 January 2006) | Kadima |
| Minister of the Environment | Yehudit Naot (until 17 October 2004) | Shinui |
| Minister of the Environment | Ilan Shalgi (29 November 2004 - 4 December 2005) | Shinui |
| Minister of the Environment | Shalom Simhon (10 January - 23 November 2005) | Labor-Meimad |
| Minister of the Environment | Gideon Ezra (from 18 January 2006) | Kadima |
| Minister of Finance | Benjamin Netanyahu (until 9 August 2005) | Likud |
| Minister of Finance | Ehud Olmert (from 7 November 2005) | Likud, Kadima |
| Minister in the Finance Ministry | Meir Sheetrit (until 5 July 2004) | Likud |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Silvan Shalom (until 15 January 2006) | Likud |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Tzipi Livni (from 18 January 2006) | Kadima |
| Minister of Health | Dan Naveh (until 14 January 2006) | Likud |
| Minister of Health | Ya'akov Edri (from 18 January 2006) | Kadima |
| Minister of Housing and Construction | Effi Eitam (3 March 2003 - 10 June 2004) | National Religious Party |
| Minister of Housing and Construction | Tzipi Livni (31 August 2004 - 10 January 2005) | Likud |
| Minister of Housing and Construction | Isaac Herzog (10 January - 23 November 2005) | Labor-Meimad |
| Minister of Housing and Construction | Ze'ev Boim (from 18 January 2006) | Kadima |
| Minister of Immigrant Absorption | Tzipi Livni | Likud, Kadima |
| Minister of Industry, Trade and Labour | Ehud Olmert | Likud, Kadima |
| Minister of Internal Affairs | Avraham Poraz (until 4 December 2004) | Shinui |
| Minister of Internal Affairs | Ophir Pines-Paz (10 January - 23 November 2005) | Labor-Meimad |
| Minister of Internal Security | Tzachi Hanegbi (until 6 September 2004) | Likud |
| Minister of Internal Security | Gideon Ezra (from 29 November 2004) | Likud, Kadima |
| Minister of Jerusalem Affairs | Natan Sharansky (3 March 2003 - 4 May 2005) | Not an MK $^1$ |
| Minister of Justice | Tommy Lapid (until 4 December 2004) | Shinui |
| Minister of Justice | Tzipi Livni (from 10 January 2005) | Likud, Kadima |
| Minister of National Infrastructure | Yosef Paritzky (until 13 July 2004) | Shinui |
| Minister of National Infrastructure | Eliezer Sandberg (19 July - 4 December 2004) | Shinui |
| Minister of National Infrastructure | Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (10 January - 23 November 2005) | Labor-Meimad |
| Minister of National Infrastructure | Roni Bar-On (from 18 January 2006) | Kadima |
| Minister of Religious Affairs | Ariel Sharon (until 31 December 2003) | Likud |
| Minister of Science, Culture and Sport | Eliezer Sandberg (until 19 July 2004) | Shinui |
| Minister of Science, Culture and Sport | Ilan Shalgi (24 July - 29 November 2004) | Shinui |
| Minister of Science, Culture and Sport | Victor Brailovsky (29 November - 4 December 2004) | Shinui |
| Minister of Science, Culture and Sport | Matan Vilnai (7–23 November 2005) | Labor-Meimad |
| Minister of Science, Culture and Sport | Roni Bar-On (from 18 January 2006) | Kadima |
| Minister of Tourism | Benny Elon (until 6 June 2004) | National Union |
| Minister of Tourism | Gideon Ezra (31 August 2004 - 10 January 2005) | Likud |
| Minister of Tourism | Avraham Hirschson (from 10 January 2005) | Likud, Kadima |
| Minister of Transportation | Avigdor Lieberman (until 6 June 2004) | National Union |
| Minister of Transportation | Meir Sheetrit (from 31 August 2004) | Likud, Kadima |
| Minister of Welfare and Social Services | Zevulun Orlev (3 March 2003 - 11 November 2004) | National Religious Party |
| Minister in the Prime Minister's Office | Gideon Ezra (until 31 August 2004) | Likud |
| Minister in the Prime Minister's Office | Uzi Landau (until 26 October 2004) | Likud |
| Minister in the Prime Minister's Office | Tzachi Hanegbi (from 6 September 2004) | Likud, Kadima |
| Minister in the Prime Minister's Office | Matan Vilnai (12 January - 28 August 2005) | Labor-Meimad |
| Minister without Portfolio | Haim Ramon (10 January - 23 November 2005) | Labor-Meimad |
$^1$ Although Sharansky was not an MK at the time of his appointment, he had been elected to the Knesset on the Yisrael BaAliyah list.