Leader of the Opposition (Israel)

For the Leader of the Opposition in other parliamentary systems, see Leader of the Opposition.

Leader of the Opposition
Template:Hebrew Yoshev Rosh Ha-Opozitzya
Incumbent Yair Lapid since 17 May 2020
Term length	While leader of the largest political party not in government
First holder	Meir Ya'ari

The Leader of the Opposition (Template:Lang-he-n, Yoshev Rosh Ha-Opozitzya) is the politician who leads the Official Opposition in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.

History

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. This was either Likud or Labor, with short exceptions during national unity governments of 1967–1970 and 1984–1990.

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, it was carried out 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. 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

Name (Birth–Death)		Portrait	Political Party	Term
style="background:Template:Mapam/meta/color; color:white;" |	Meir Ya'ari Template:Hebrew (1897–1987)		Mapam	1949 – 1951
	Peretz Bernstein Template:Hebrew (1890–1971)		General Zionists	1951 – 1952
style="background:Template:Mapam/meta/color; color:white;" |	Meir Ya'ari Template:Hebrew (1897–1987)		Mapam	1952 – 1955
	Peretz Bernstein Template:Hebrew (1890–1971)		General Zionists	1955
style="background:Template:Herut/meta/color; color:white;" |	Menachem Begin Template:Hebrew (1913–1992)		Herut/Gahal	1955 – 1967
style="background:Template:Mapam/meta/color; color:white;" |	Meir Ya'ari Template:Hebrew (1897–1987)		Mapam	1967 – 1969
style="background:Template:Agudat Yisrael/meta/color; color:white;" |	Yitzhak-Meir Levin Template:Hebrew (1893–1971)		Agudat Yisrael	1969 – 1970
style="background:Template:Likud/meta/color; color:white;" |	Menachem Begin Template:Hebrew (1913–1992)		Likud	1970 – 1977
style="background:Template:Alignment (political party)/meta/color; color:white;" |	Shimon Peres Template:Hebrew (1923–2016)		Alignment	1977 – 1984
style="background:Template:Tehiya/meta/color; color:white;" |	Yuval Ne'eman Template:Hebrew (1925–2006)		Tehiya	1984 – 1988
style="background:Template:Ratz (political party)/meta/color; color:white;" |	Shulamit Aloni Template:Hebrew (1928–2014)		Ratz	1988 – 1990
style="background:Template:Israeli Labor Party/meta/color; color:white;" |	Shimon Peres Template:Hebrew (1923–2016)		Labor	1990 – 1992
style="background:Template:Likud/meta/color; color:white;" |	Yitzhak Shamir Template:Hebrew (1915–2012)		Likud	1992 – 1993
style="background:Template:Likud/meta/color; color:white;" |	Benjamin Netanyahu Template:Hebrew (1949–)		Likud	1993 – 1996
style="background:Template:Israeli Labor Party/meta/color; color:white;" |	Shimon Peres Template:Hebrew (1923–2016)		Labor	1996 – 1997
style="background:Template:Israeli Labor Party/meta/color; color:white;" |	Ehud Barak Template:Hebrew (1942–)		Labor	1997 – 1999
style="background:Template:Likud/meta/color; color:white;" |	Ariel Sharon Template:Hebrew (1928–2014)		Likud	1999 – 2000

Designated Opposition Leaders

After Amendment 8 to the "Knesset law" of 1994 was passed, the Leader of the Opposition became the person elected by the largest faction of the opposition.

Name (Birth–Death)		Portrait	Political Party	Term
style="background:Template:Likud/meta/color; color:white;" |	Ariel Sharon Template:Hebrew (1928–2014)		Likud	30 July 2000 – 7 March 2001
style="background:Template:Meretz/meta/color; color:white;" |	Yossi Sarid Template:Hebrew (1940–2015)		Meretz	7 March 2001 – 4 November 2002
style="background:Template:Israeli Labor Party/meta/color; color:white;" |	Binyamin Ben-Eliezer Template:Hebrew (1936–2016)		Labor	4 November 2002 – 28 February 2003
style="background:Template:Israeli Labor Party/meta/color; color:white;" |	Amram Mitzna Template:Hebrew (1945–)		Labor	28 February 2003 – 13 May 2003
style="background:Template:Israeli Labor Party/meta/color; color:white;" |	Dalia Itzik Template:Hebrew (1952–)		Labor	13 May 2003 – 25 June 2003
style="background:Template:Israeli Labor Party/meta/color; color:white;" |	Shimon Peres Template:Hebrew (1923–2016)		Labor	25 June 2003 – 10 January 2005
style="background:Template:Shinui/meta/color; color:white;" |	Yosef Lapid Template:Hebrew (1931–2008)		Shinui	10 January 2005 – 23 November 2005
style="background:Template:Israeli Labor Party/meta/color; color:white;" |	Amir Peretz Template:Hebrew (1952–)		Labor	23 November 2005 – 16 January 2006
style="background:Template:Likud/meta/color; color:white;" |	Benjamin Netanyahu Template:Hebrew (1949–)		Likud	16 January 2006 – 6 April 2009
style="background:Template:Kadima/meta/color; color:white;" |	Tzipi Livni Template:Hebrew (1958–)		Kadima	6 April 2009 – 2 April 2012
style="background:Template:Kadima/meta/color; color:white;" |	Shaul Mofaz Template:Hebrew (1948–)		Kadima	2 April 2012 – 9 May 2012
style="background:Template:Israeli Labor Party/meta/color; color:white;" |	Shelly Yachimovich Template:Hebrew (1960–)		Labor	9 May 2012 – 23 July 2012
style="background:Template:Kadima/meta/color; color:white;" |	Shaul Mofaz Template:Hebrew (1948–)		Kadima	23 July 2012 – 5 February 2013
style="background:Template:Israeli Labor Party/meta/color; color:white;" |	Shelly Yachimovich Template:Hebrew (1960–)		Labor	5 February 2013 – 25 November 2013
style="background:Template:Zionist Union/meta/color; color:white;" |	Isaac Herzog Template:Hebrew (1960–)		Zionist Union (Labor)	25 November 2013 – 31 July 2018
style="background:Template:Zionist Union/meta/color; color:white;" |	Tzipi Livni Template:Hebrew (1958–)		Zionist Union (Hatnuah)	1 August 2018 – 1 January 2019
style="background:Template:Israeli Labor Party/meta/color; color:white;" |	Shelly Yachimovich Template:Hebrew (1960–)		Labor	1 January 2019 – 30 April 2019
	Vacant			30 April 2019 – 17 May 2020
	Yair Lapid Template:Hebrew (1963–)		Yesh Atid-Telem (Yesh Atid)	17 May 2020 - Present

External links

• Chapter 6: Leader of the Opposition, The Knesset law of 1994 Wikisource (in Hebrew)