First government of Israel

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First Ben-Gurion Cabinet

1st Cabinet of Israel
Date formed10 March 1949 (1949-03-10)
Date dissolved30 October 1950 (1950-10-30)
People and organisations
Head of stateChaim Weizmann
Head of governmentDavid Ben-Gurion
Member partiesMapai
United Religious Front
Progressive Party
Sephardim and Oriental Communities
Democratic List of Nazareth
Status in legislatureCoalition
Opposition leaderMeir Ya'ari
History
Election(s)1949 Israeli legislative election
Legislature term(s)1st Knesset
PredecessorProvisional cabinet of Israel
Successor2nd cabinet of Israel
First Government of Israel on 1 May 1949. Left-right: Golda Meir, Zalman Shazar, Bechor-Shalom Sheetrit, Zvi Maimon (government stenographer), Dov Yosef, Eliezer Kaplan, Moshe Sharett, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, Ze'ev Sherf (cabinet secretary), Pinchas Rosen, David Remez, Haim Moshe Shapira, Yitzhak Meir Levin, Yehuda Leib Maimon.

The first government of Israel was formed by David Ben-Gurion on 8 March 1949, a month and a half after the elections for the First Knesset. His Mapai party formed a coalition with the United Religious Front, the Progressive Party, the Sephardim and Oriental Communities and the Democratic List of Nazareth, and there were 12 ministers.

A notable piece of legislation enacted during the term of the first government was an educational law in 1949 which introduced compulsory schooling for all children between the ages of 5 and 14.[1]

Ben-Gurion resigned on 15 October 1950 after the United Religious Front objected to his demands that the Supply and Rationing Ministry be closed and a businessman appointed as Minister for Trade and Industry, as well as issues over education in the new immigrant camps.

The Cabinet
Position Person Party
Prime Minister
Minister of Defense
David Ben-Gurion Mapai
Minister of Agriculture
Minister of Rationing and Supply
Dov Yosef Mapai
Minister of Education and Culture Zalman Shazar Mapai
Minister of Foreign Affairs Moshe Sharett Mapai
Minister of Finance
Minister of Trade and Industry
Eliezer Kaplan Mapai
Minister of Health
Minister of Immigration
Minister of Internal Affairs
Haim-Moshe Shapira United Religious Front
Minister of Justice Pinchas Rosen Progressive Party
Minister of Labour and Social Security Golda Meir Mapai
Minister of Police Bechor-Shalom Sheetrit Sephardim and Oriental Communities
Minister of Religions and War Victims Yehuda Leib Maimon United Religious Front
Minister of Transportation David Remez Mapai
Minister of Welfare Yitzhak-Meir Levin United Religious Front

References[edit]

  1. ^ The Challenge Of Israel by Misha Louvish. Publisher: Jerusalem Israel Univ Press; 1st Edition (1968) ASIN: B000OKO5U2.

External links[edit]