Religious Services Minister of Israel

The Religious Services Minister of Israel (Hebrew: שר לשירותי דת, Sar LeShirutei Dat) is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Religious Services and a relatively minor position in the Israeli cabinet. The current minister is Ya'akov Margi of Shas.

The post was included in the provisional government, and was initially known as the Minister of Religions and War Victims. Upon the formation of the second government on 8 October 1951 it became the Minister of Religions. A second re-name occurred on 5 August 1981 when it became the Minister of Religious Affairs. The post was scrapped on 1 January 2004, but resurrected on 14 January 2008.

The office holders have been largely religious, though some secularists have held the post; Haim Yosef Zadok being the first to do so when appointed in 1974. Zerach Warhaftig is the longest serving minister to date, holding the post for over 12 years between 1961 and 1974. In Binyamin Netanyahu's government the portfolio changed hands six times, with four different people holding the post (Netanyahu three times and Eli Suissa twice).

There has been a Deputy Minister on several occasions.

List of Religious Services ministers

Minister	Party	Government(s)	Dates in Office
Yehuda Leib Maimon	Mizrachi United Religious Front	P, 1, 2	14/5/48 - 8/10/51
Haim-Moshe Shapira	Hapoel HaMizrachi National Religious Party	3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8	8/10/51 - 1/7/58
Ya'akov Moshe Toledano	Not an MK	8, 9	3/12/58 - 15/10/60 ¹
Zerach Warhaftig	National Religious Party	10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15	2/11/61 - 10/3/74
Yitzhak Rafael	National Religious Party	16	10/3/74 - 3/6/74
Haim Yosef Zadok	Alignment	17	3/6/74 - 29/10/74
Yitzhak Rafael	National Religious Party	17	30/10/74 - 22/12/76
Haim Yosef Zadok	Alignment	17	16/1/77 - 20/6/77
Aharon Abuhatzira	National Religious Party	18	20/6/77 - 5/8/81
Yosef Burg	National Religious Party	19, 20	5/8/81 - 13/9/84
Shimon Peres	Alignment	21	13/9/84 - 23/12/84
Yosef Burg	National Religious Party	21	13/9/84 - 5/10/86
Zevulun Hammer	National Religious Party	21, 22, 23	7/10/86 - 11/6/90
Avner Shaki	National Religious Party	24	11/6/90 - 13/7/92
Yitzhak Rabin	Labor Party	25	13/7/92 - 27/2/95
Shimon Sheetrit	Labor Party	25, 26	27/2/95 - 18/6/96
Binyamin Netanyahu	Likud	27	18/6/96 - 7/8/96
Eli Suissa	Shas	27	7/8/96 - 12/8/97
Binyamin Netanyahu	Likud	27	12/8/97 - 22/8/97
Zevulun Hammer	National Religious Party	27	22/8/97 - 20/1/98 ¹
Binyamin Netanyahu	Likud	27	20/1/98 - 25/2/98
Yitzhak Levy	National Religious Party	27	25/2/98 - 13/9/98
Eli Suissa	Shas	27	13/9/98 - 6/7/99
Yitzhak Cohen	Shas	28	6/7/99 - 11/7/00
Yossi Beilin	One Israel	28	11/10/00 - 7/3/01
Asher Ohana	Not an MK	29	7/3/01 - 28/2/03
Ariel Sharon	Likud	30	28/2/03 - 31/12/03
Yitzhak Cohen	Shas	31	14/1/08 - 31/3/09
Ya'akov Margi	Shas	32	31/3/09 - present

¹ Died in office.

Deputy Ministers

Minister	Party	Government(s)	Dates in Office
Zerach Warhaftig	Hapoel HaMizrachi National Religious Party	4, 7, 8	5/1/1953 - 26/1/1954 9/1/1956 - 1/7/1958
Binyamin Shahor	National Religious Party	13, 14	1/2/1966 - 17/11/1969
Haim Drukman	National Religious Party	19	11/8/1981 - 2/3/1982
Moshe Gafni	Degel HaTorah	24	23/7/1990 - 13/7/1992
Rafael Pinhasi	Shas	25	31/12/1992 - 14/9/1993
Aryeh Gamliel	Shas	27	13/8/1996 - 22/8/1997 24/8/1997 - 20/1/1998 25/2/1998 - 6/7/1999
Yigal Bibi	National Religious Party	27 27 28	13/8/1996 - 20/1/1998 25/2/1998 - 6/7/1999 5/8/1999 - 12/7/2000

External links

• All Ministers in the Ministry of Religions Knesset website