Leader of the Opposition (Israel)
{{Short description|Parliamentary position in the Knesset}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Leader of the Opposition
| native_name = {{Nobold|{{Script/Hebrew|רֹאשׁ הַאוֹפּוֹזִיצְיָה}}
Rosh Ha-Opozitzya}}
| insignia =
| insigniasize = 115px
| insigniacaption = Logo of the largest opposition party
| image = Yair Lapid (D1237-011).jpg
| imagesize = 150px
| incumbent = Yair Lapid
| incumbentsince = 2 January 2023[https://main.knesset.gov.il/EN/mk/Pages/HeadOfOpposition.aspx Leader of the Opposition] Knesset
| first = Meir Ya'ari
| termlength = While leader of the largest political party in the Knesset that is not in government
| body =
}}{{Politics of Israel}}
In Israel, the Leader of the Opposition ({{langx|he|רֹאשׁ הַאוֹפּוֹזִיצְיָה}}, Rosh HaOpozitzya) is the politician who leads the Official Opposition in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. The Leader of the Opposition is, by convention, the leader of the largest political party in the Knesset that is not in (or supports) the government.
History
{{More citations needed section|date=December 2020}}
=Informal role, until 2000=
Until 2000, the role of the Opposition Leader was not an official position, but rather an honorary role. The Leader of the Opposition was the leader of the largest party not in government.
Even with the absence of a law defining the role of the Opposition Leader, it was customary for the Prime Minister to hold regular meetings with the leader of the largest opposition party. However, this was done only at the prerogative of the Prime Minister.
=Formalised role, post-2000=
In early 2000, two bills to amend the Opposition Leader's status were submitted to the Knesset, one by the government and one by MK Uzi Landau. The bills were merged into one amendment, and on 17 July 2000, the Knesset approved Amendment 8 to the "Knesset Law" of 1994, adding chapter 6 that outlined the role of the Leader of the Opposition.{{cite web |title=Leader of the Opposition |url=https://knesset.gov.il/lexicon/eng/opposition-chairman_eng.htm |website=knesset.gov.il |access-date=15 December 2020 |date=2014}} The law stipulates the selection of the Opposition Leader, the method of their replacement, regulates their ceremonial role in various official events, and obliges the prime minister to update them once a month. The law also stipulates that the Opposition Leader's salary will be determined by Knesset committee, and shall not be lower than a salary of a Cabinet minister.
List of Opposition leaders
= Leaders of the largest opposition party =
{| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
! style="width: 140pt;" colspan=2|Name
{{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! Portrait
! style="width: 100pt;"|Party
! Term start
! Term end
! Government(s)
opposed
! Prime minister(s)
opposed
! Knesset
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background:{{party color|Mapam}}; color:white;" | 1
| rowspan=2 | Meir Ya'ari
{{Script/Hebrew|מאיר יערי}}
{{small|(1897–1987)}} || rowspan="2" | 80px || rowspan=2 | Mapam || rowspan=2 nowrap| 10 March 1949 || rowspan=2 nowrap| 8 October 1951 || 1 || rowspan=4|David Ben-Gurion
{{small|(Mapai)}} || rowspan=2| 1st
|-
| 2
|-
| style="background:#12B6CF; color:white;" | 2
| Peretz Bernstein
{{Script/Hebrew|פרץ ברנשטיין}}
{{small|(1890–1971)}} || 80px || General Zionists || nowrap| 8 October 1951 || nowrap| 24 December 1952 || 3 || rowspan=4| 2nd
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background:{{party color|Mapam}}; color:white;" | (1)
| rowspan=2 | Meir Ya'ari
{{Script/Hebrew|מאיר יערי}}
{{small|(1897–1987)}} || rowspan=2 | 80px || rowspan=2 | Mapam || rowspan=2 nowrap| 24 December 1952 || rowspan=2 nowrap| 29 June 1955 || 4
|-
| 5 || rowspan=2|Moshe Sharett
{{small|(Mapai)}}
|-
| style="background:#12B6CF; color:white;" | (2)
| Peretz Bernstein
{{Script/Hebrew|פרץ ברנשטיין}}
{{small|(1890–1971)}} || 80px || General Zionists || nowrap| 29 June 1955 || nowrap| 3 November 1955 || 6
|-
| rowspan=7 style="background:{{party color|Herut}}; color:white;" | 3
| rowspan=7 | Menachem Begin
{{Script/Hebrew|מנחם בגין}}
{{small|(1913–1992)}} || rowspan=7 | 80px || rowspan=6 | Herut || rowspan=7 nowrap| 3 November 1955 || rowspan=7 nowrap| 5 June 1967 || 7 || rowspan=4|David Ben-Gurion
{{small|(Mapai)}} || rowspan=2| 3rd
|-
| 8
|-
|-
|-
| 11 || rowspan=3|Levi Eshkol
{{small|(Mapai 1963–1966;
Mapai/Labor Alignment 1966–1967)}}
|-
| 12
|-
| Gahal
{{small|Herut}} || 13 || rowspan=2| 6th
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background:{{party color|Agudat Yisrael}}; color:white;" | 4
| rowspan=2 | Yitzhak-Meir Levin
{{Script/Hebrew|יצחק-מאיר לוין}}
{{small|(1893–1971)}} || rowspan=2 | 80px || rowspan=2 | Agudat Yisrael || rowspan=2 nowrap| 5 June 1967 || rowspan=2 nowrap| 6 August 1970 || 14 || rowspan=5|Golda Meir
{{small|(Labor/Alignment)}}
|-
| rowspan=3 | 15 || rowspan=2| 7th
|-
| rowspan=4 style="background:{{party color|Herut}}; color:white;" | (3)
| rowspan=4 | Menachem Begin
{{Script/Hebrew|מנחם בגין}}
{{small|(1913–1992)}} || rowspan=4 | 80px || Gahal
{{small|Herut}} || rowspan=4 nowrap| 6 August 1970 || rowspan=4 nowrap| 20 June 1977
|-
| rowspan=3 | Likud
{{small|Herut}}
|-
|-
| 17 || Yitzhak Rabin
{{small|(Labor/Alignment)}}
|-
| rowspan=3 style="background:{{party color|Israeli Labor Party}}; color:white;" | 5
| rowspan=3 | Shimon Peres
{{Script/Hebrew|שמעון פרס}}
{{small|(1923–2016)}} || rowspan=3 | 80px || rowspan=3 | Alignment
{{small|Labor Party}} || rowspan=3 nowrap| 20 June 1977 || rowspan=3 nowrap| 13 September 1984 || 18 || rowspan=2|Menachem Begin
{{small|(Herut/Likud}} || 9th
|-
|-
| 20 || Yitzhak Shamir
{{small|(Herut/Likud)}}
|-
| rowspan=3 style="background:{{party color|Tehiya}}; color:white;" | 6
| rowspan=3 | Yuval Ne'eman
{{Script/Hebrew|יובל נאמן}}
{{small|(1925–2006)}} || rowspan=3 | 80px || rowspan=2 | Tehiya-Tzomet
{{small|Tehiya}} || rowspan=3 nowrap| 13 September 1984 || rowspan=3 nowrap| 22 December 1988 || 21 || Shimon Peres
{{small|(Labor/Alignment)}} || rowspan=3| 11th
|-
| rowspan=2 | 22 || rowspan=6|Yitzhak Shamir
{{small|(Herut/Likud 1986–1988;
Likud 1988–1992}}
|-
| Tehiya
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Ratz (political party)}}; color:white;" | 7
| Shulamit Aloni
{{Script/Hebrew|שולמית אלוני}}
{{small|(1928–2014)}} || 80px || Ratz || nowrap| 22 December 1988 || nowrap| 15 March 1990 || 23 || rowspan=4| 12th
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background:{{party color|Israeli Labor Party}}; color:white;" | (5)
| rowspan=2 | Shimon Peres
{{Script/Hebrew|שמעון פרס}}
{{small|(1923–2016)}} || rowspan=2 | 80px || Alignment
{{small|Labor Party}} || rowspan=2 nowrap| 15 March 1990 || rowspan=2 nowrap| February 1992 || rowspan=3 | 24
|-
| rowspan=2| Labor Party
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Israeli Labor Party}}; color:white;" | 8
| Yitzhak Rabin
{{Script/Hebrew|יִצְחָק רַבִּין}}
{{small|(1922–1995)}} || 80px || nowrap| February 1992 || nowrap| 13 July 1992
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Likud}}; color:white;" | 9
| Yitzhak Shamir
{{Script/Hebrew|יצחק שמיר}}
{{small|(1915–2012)}} || 80px || rowspan=3 | Likud || nowrap| 13 July 1992 || nowrap| 24 March 1993 || rowspan=2 | 25 || rowspan=2| Yitzhak Rabin
{{small|(Labor)}} || rowspan=4| 13th
|-
| rowspan=3 style="background:{{party color|Likud}}; color:white;" | 10
| rowspan=3 | Benjamin Netanyahu
{{Script/Hebrew|בנימין נתניהו}}
{{small|(born 1949)}} || rowspan=3 | 80px || rowspan=3 nowrap| 24 March 1993 || rowspan=3 nowrap| 18 June 1996
|-
| rowspan=2 | 26 || rowspan=2 | Shimon Peres
{{small|(Labor)}}
|-
| Likud-Gesher-Tzomet
{{small|Likud}}
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Israeli Labor Party}}; color:white;" | (5)
| Shimon Peres
{{Script/Hebrew|שמעון פרס}}
{{small|(1923–2016)}} || 80px || Labor Party || nowrap| 18 June 1996 || nowrap| 1 July 1997 || rowspan=3 | 27 || rowspan=3| Benjamin Netanyahu
{{small|(Likud)}} || rowspan=3| 14th
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background:{{party color|Israeli Labor Party}}; color:white;" | 11
| rowspan=2 | Ehud Barak
{{Script/Hebrew|אהוד ברק}}
{{small|(born 1942)}} || rowspan=2 | 80px || Labor Party || rowspan=2 nowrap| 1 July 1997 || rowspan=2 nowrap| 6 July 1999
|-
| One Israel
{{small|Labor Party}}
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Likud}}; color:white;" | 12
| Ariel Sharon
{{Script/Hebrew|אריאל שרון}}
{{small|(1928–2014)}} ||80px || Likud || nowrap| 6 July 1999 || nowrap| 30 July 2000 || 28 || Ehud Barak
{{small|(Labor)}}
|| 15th
|}
= Designated Opposition Leaders =
After Amendment 8 to the "Knesset law" of 1994 was passed, the Leader of the Opposition became an official position held by the leader of the largest faction within the opposition.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|- style="background:#ccc;"
! style="width: 140pt;" colspan=2|Name
{{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! Portrait
! style="width: 100pt;"|Party
! Term start
! Term end
! Government(s)
opposed
! Prime minister(s)
opposed
! Knesset
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Likud}}; color:white;" | 12
| Ariel Sharon
{{Script/Hebrew|אריאל שרון}}
{{small|(1928–2014)}} || 80px || Likud || nowrap| 31 July 2000 || nowrap| 7 March 2001 || 28 || Ehud Barak
{{small|(Labor)}} || rowspan=3| 15th
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Meretz}}; color:white;" | 13
| Yossi Sarid
{{Script/Hebrew|יוסי שריד}}
{{small|(1940–2015)}} || 80px || Meretz || nowrap| 7 March 2001 || nowrap| 4 November 2002 || rowspan=2 | 29 || rowspan=9| Ariel Sharon
{{small|(Likud 2001–2005;
Kadima 2005–2006)}}
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background:{{party color|Israeli Labor Party}}; color:white;" | 14
| rowspan=2|Binyamin Ben-Eliezer
{{Script/Hebrew|בנימין בן אליעזר}}
{{small|(1936–2016)}} || rowspan=2| 80px || rowspan=2| Labor Party || rowspan=2 nowrap| 4 November 2002 || rowspan=2 nowrap| 12 March 2003
|-
| rowspan=7 | 30 || rowspan=7| 16th
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Israeli Labor Party}}; color:white;" | 15
| Amram Mitzna
{{Script/Hebrew|עמרם מצנע}}
{{small|(born 1945)}} || 80px || rowspan=3 | Labor-Meimad
{{small|Labor Party}} || nowrap| 12 March 2003 || nowrap| 13 May 2003
|-
|style="background:{{party color|Israeli Labor Party}}; color:white;" | 16
| Dalia Itzik
{{Script/Hebrew|דליה איציק}}
{{small|(born 1952)}}
|| 80px || nowrap| 13 May 2003 || nowrap| 25 June 2003
|-
|style="background:{{party color|Israeli Labor Party}}; color:white;" | (5)
| Shimon Peres
{{Script/Hebrew|שמעון פרס}}
{{small|(1923–2016)}} || 80px || nowrap| 25 June 2003 || nowrap| 10 January 2005
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Shinui}}; color:white;" | 17
| Yosef Lapid
{{Script/Hebrew|יוסף לפיד}}
{{small|(1931–2008)}} || 80px || Shinui || nowrap| 10 January 2005 || nowrap| 23 November 2005
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Israeli Labor Party}}; color:white;" | 18
| Amir Peretz
{{Script/Hebrew|עמיר פרץ}}
{{small|(born 1952)}} || 80px || Labor-Meimad
{{small|Labor Party}} || nowrap| 23 November 2005 || nowrap| 16 January 2006
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background:{{party color|Likud}}; color:white;" | (10)
| rowspan=2 | Benjamin Netanyahu
{{Script/Hebrew|בנימין נתניהו}}
{{small|(born 1949)}} || rowspan=2 | 80px || rowspan=2 | Likud || nowrap| 16 January 2006 || 17 April 2006
|-
| nowrap| 17 April 2006 || 31 March 2009 || 31 || Ehud Olmert
{{small|(Kadima)}} || 17th
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Kadima}}; color:white;" |19
| Tzipi Livni
{{Script/Hebrew|ציפי לבני}}
{{small|(born 1958)}} || 80px || Kadima || nowrap| 6 April 2009 || nowrap| 2 April 2012 || rowspan=5 | 32 || rowspan="14" | Benjamin Netanyahu
{{small|(Likud)}} || rowspan=4| 18th
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Kadima}}; color:white;" |20
| Shaul Mofaz
{{Script/Hebrew|שאול מופז}}
{{small|(born 1948)}} || 80px || Kadima || nowrap| 2 April 2012 || nowrap| 9 May 2012
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Israeli Labor Party}}; color:white;" |21
| Shelly Yachimovich
{{Script/Hebrew|שלי יחימוביץ׳}}
{{small|(born 1960)}} || 80px || Labor Party || nowrap| 9 May 2012 || nowrap| 23 July 2012
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Kadima}}; color:white;" |(20)
| Shaul Mofaz
{{Script/Hebrew|שאול מופז}}
{{small|(born 1948)}} || 80px || Kadima || nowrap| 23 July 2012 || nowrap| 5 February 2013
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background:{{party color|Israeli Labor Party}}; color:white;" |(21)
| rowspan=2| Shelly Yachimovich
{{Script/Hebrew|שלי יחימוביץ׳}}
{{small|(born 1960)}} || rowspan=2| 80px || rowspan="3" |Labor Party || rowspan=2 nowrap| 5 February 2013 || rowspan=2 nowrap| 25 November 2013
|-
| rowspan="3" | 33 || rowspan="3" | 19th
|-
| rowspan=3 style="background:{{party color|Israeli Labor Party}}; color:white;" |22
| rowspan="3" | Isaac Herzog
{{Script/Hebrew|יצחק הרצוג}}
{{small|(1960–)}} || rowspan="3" | 80px || rowspan="2" nowrap="" | 25 November 2013 || rowspan="2" nowrap="" | 14 May 2015
|-
| rowspan=2 | Zionist Union
{{small|Labor Party}}
|-
| nowrap| 14 May 2015 || nowrap| 31 July 2018
| rowspan="5" |34|| rowspan="3" | 20th
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Hatnuah}}; color:white;" |(19)
| Tzipi Livni
{{Script/Hebrew|ציפי לבני}}
{{small|(born 1958)}} || 80px || Zionist Union
{{small|Hatnuah}} || nowrap| 1 August 2018 || nowrap| 1 January 2019
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background:{{party color|Israeli Labor Party}}; color:white;" |(21)
| rowspan=2| Shelly Yachimovich
{{Script/Hebrew|שלי יחימוביץ׳}}
{{small|(born 1960)}} || rowspan=2| 80px || rowspan=2| Labor Party || rowspan=2 nowrap| 1 January 2019 || rowspan=2 nowrap| 30 April 2019
|-
|-
| style="background: color:white;" |
| colspan=3|Vacant de jure, Benny Gantz de facto || nowrap| 30 April 2019 || nowrap| 17 May 2020
|-
| style="background:#003BA3; color:white;" |23
| Yair Lapid
{{Script/Hebrew|יאיר לפיד}}
{{small|(born 1963)}} || 80px || Yesh Atid|| nowrap| 17 May 2020 || nowrap| 6 April 2021 || 35 || 23rd
|-
| style="background:#1F5AA5; color:white;" | (10)
| Benjamin Netanyahu
{{Script/Hebrew|בנימין נתניהו}}
{{small|(born 1949)}} || 80px || Likud || nowrap| 28 June 2021 || nowrap| 29 December 2022 || 36 || Naftali Bennett
{{small|(Yamina/New Right)}}
Yair Lapid
{{small|(Yesh Atid)}} || 24th
|-
| style="background:#003BA3; color:white;" |(23)
| Yair Lapid
{{Script/Hebrew|יאיר לפיד}}
{{small|(born 1963)}} || 80px || Yesh Atid|| nowrap| 2 January 2023 || nowrap| Present || 37
|| Benjamin Netanyahu
{{small|(Likud)}}
|| 25th
|}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://he.wikisource.org/wiki/%D7%97%D7%95%D7%A7_%D7%94%D7%9B%D7%A0%D7%A1%D7%AA Chapter 6: Leader of the Opposition, The Knesset law of 1994] Wikisource {{in lang|he}}
{{Opposition leaders (Israel)}}