Twenty-seventh government of Israel
Position Person Party
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Likud
Deputy Prime Minister David Levy ( until 6 January 1998 ) Likud - Gesher - Tzomet
Deputy Prime Minister Zevulun Hammer ( until 20 January 1998 ) National Religious Party
Deputy Prime Minister Rafael Eitan Likud-Gesher-Tzomet
Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Katsav Likud-Gesher-Tzomet
Minister of Agriculture Rafael Eitan Likud-Gesher-Tzomet
Minister of Communications Limor Livnat Likud-Gesher-Tzomet
Minister of Defense Yitzhak Mordechai ( until 25 January 1999 ) Likud-Gesher-Tzomet
Minister of Defense Moshe Arens ( from 27 January 1999 ) Not an MK
Minister of Education , Culture and Sport Zevulun Hammer ( until 20 January 1998 ) National Religious Party
Minister of Education , Culture and Sport Yitzhak Levy ( from 25 February 1998 ) National Religious Party
Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Yitzhak Levy ( until 8 July 1996 ) National Religious Party
Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Ariel Sharon ( from 8 July 1996 ) Likud-Gesher-Tzomet
Minister of the Environment Rafael Eitan Likud-Gesher-Tzomet
Minister of Finance Dan Meridor ( until 20 June 1997 ) Likud-Gesher-Tzomet
Minister of Finance Binyamin Netanyahu ( 20 June - 9 July 1997 ) Likud-Gesher-Tzomet
Minister of Finance Ya'akov Ne'eman ( 9 July 1997 - 18 December 1998 ) Not an MK
Minister of Finance Binyamin Netanyahu ( 18 December 1998 - 23 February 1999 ) Likud-Gesher-Tzomet
Minister of Finance Meir Sheetrit ( from 23 February 1999 ) Likud-Gesher-Tzomet
Minister of Foreign Affairs David Levy ( until 6 January 1998 ) Likud-Gesher-Tzomet
Cabinet members
The twenty-seventh government of Israel was formed by Benjamin Netanyahu of Likud on 18 June 1996. Although his Likud-Gesher-Tzomet alliance won fewer seats that the Labor Party, Netanyahu formed the government after winning the country's first ever direct election for Prime Minister, narrowly defeating incumbent Shimon Peres. This government was the first formed by an Israeli national born in the state after independence in 1948 (the seventeenth government of 1974-1977 was the first to be formed by a native-born Israeli, although Rabin was born in the territory prior to independence). Together with Likud-Gesher-Tzomet, Netanyahu also included Shas, the National Religious Party, Yisrael BaAliyah, United Torah Judaism and the Third Way in the government, with the coalition holding 66 of the 120 seats in the Knesset. The government was also supported, but not joined, by the two-seat Moledet faction. Gesher left the coalition on 6 January 1998, but the government remained in place until 6 July 1999, when Ehud Barak formed the twenty-eighth government after defeating Netanyahu in the 1999 election for Prime Minister.