- Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert ; born September 30, 1945) is the 12th and current Prime Minister of Israel. Olmert became Prime Minister on April 14, 2006 but had been exercising the powers of the office since they were transferred to him on January 4, 2006 after Ariel Sharon suffered a severe hemorrhagic stroke. Olmert's title for that period was Acting Prime Minister. Olmert has previously been the Vice Prime Minister of Israel, Finance minister, Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, …
- Shimon Peres
"' (born Szymon Perski"' on August 2, 1923 in eastern Poland) is the 9th President of the State of Israel. He is a senior Israeli statesman with a political career spanning more than 65 years. He joined the Knesset in November 1959 and, except for a three-month-long hiatus in early 2006, served continuously until June 13, 2007, the day he was elected President of Israel.
- Benjamin Netanyahu
"', transliterated Binyamin "Bibi" Netanyahu"', born October 21, 1949, Tel Aviv) was the 9th Prime Minister of Israel and is Chairman of the Likud Party. As leader of the conservative Likud party, he was Prime Minister from June 1996 to July 1999. He is the first (and to date only) Prime Minister of Israel to be born after the State of Israel's foundation. He was Finance Minister of Israel until August 9, 2005, …
- Amir Peretz
Amir Peretz (born 9 March, 1952) is an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset. He is a former Defense Minister of Israel and former leader of the Israeli Labour Party, having left those positions in June of 2007. Peretz is the former chairman of the Histadrut trade union federation and defeated Shimon Peres in the primary elections for the Labour leadership in November 9, 2005. He led the Labour Party to a second place showing in the 2006 Israeli elections.
- Uri Avnery
Uri Avnery (also transliterated Uri Avneri, born September 10, 1923 in Beckum, Germany as Helmut Ostermann), is a German-born Israeli journalist, left-wing peace activist, and former Knesset member, who was originally a member of the right-wing Revisionist Zionist movement.
- Yossi Sarid
Yossi Sarid (born October 24, 1940) is a left-wing Israeli news commentator and former politician. Sarid was member of the Meretz-Yachad party in the Knesset until he withdrew from politics shortly before the 2006 elections. Sarid holds a Master's degree in Political Science from New School for Social Research, New York. He writes a weekly column for the daily, …
- Yossi Beilin
Dr. Yossef ("Yossi") Beilin is a leftist Israeli politician, Knesset member, and a former deputy foreign minister and justice minister within the Israeli Labour Party. He is currently chairman of Meretz-Yachad. He is best known for his involvement with the Oslo accords, the Geneva Initiative and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process in general.
- Dalia Itzik
Dalia Itzik (born 20 October 1952) is an Israeli politician, and currently holds the position of Knesset speaker. A member of the Kadima party, she was elected and took office as the first female speaker of the Knesset on May 4, 2006. Itzik was born in Jerusalem to a family of Iraqi origin. Before being elected to the 13th Knesset in 1992, she served as Jerusalem's deputy mayor. As a member of the Labour party, she served as Commerce, Environment and, most recently, …
- Azmi Bishara
Azmi Bishara is a Palestinian Christian who was a Member of the Israeli Knesset and leader of the Balad party from 1996 until resigning in April 2007. His resignation took place amidst news of a series of "serious" but "unspecified" criminal charges being laid against him by Israeli security services, which were later revealed to be treason and espionage. By resigning, Bishara lost his parliamentary immunity and has chosen to remain abroad, …
- Moshe Katsav
Moshe Katsav (born Musā Qassāb on 5 December 1945) is a former President of Israel and member of the Knesset. The end of his term of President was marked by controversy, and from 25 January 2007 until his resignation on 1 July 2007, he was on a leave of absence amid impending charges of crimes stemming from his alleged rape of one female subordinate which was later dropped, as well as the sexual harassment of others.
- Haim Ramon
Haim Ramon (born 10 April 1950) is an Israeli politician and Member of the Knesset for Kadima. He was appointed Minister of Justice on 4 May 2006 and announced his resignation from the post on August 18 of the same year, following allegations of sexual misconduct. Despite being found guilty of the harassment, he was reappointed to the cabinet in July 2007 as Vice Premier and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office with responsibility for state policy.
- Natan Sharansky
Natan Sharansky </ref> He resigned from the Knesset on November 20, 2006. As of June 18, 2007, Sharansky is the president of Beit Hatefutsot, the Jewish diaspora museum.
- Silvan Shalom
"'"' (born 4 October 1958) is an Israeli politician and former Foreign Minister (2003-2006) and Finance Minister (2001-2003). He remains a Likud Party member of the Knesset, in which he has served since 1992. Born in Gabès, Tunisia to the Beit Shalom dynasty, Shalom emigrated to Israel in 1959. Like most Israelis, Shalom was inducted into the Israel Defense Forces at the age of 18 and achieved the rank of Sergeant. Shalom attended Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Be'er Sheva, …
- Avraham Burg
Avraham Burg (nickname: Avrum, born January 19 1955) is an Israeli politician. Burg was born in Jerusalem and is the son of Yosef Shlomo Burg, a minister in several Israeli governments himself. He served in the Israel Defense Forces and graduated as a lieutenant in the paratroopers brigade. He then studied Social Sciences at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Burg was an activist in left wing organizations and the Peace Now movement.
- Avi Dichter
Avraham "Avi" Dichter (born 4 December 1952) is an Israeli politician, former head of the Shabak, and member of the Knesset. He is number five on Kadima's list and, as of May 2006, Israel's Minister of Internal Security. Dichter was born in Ashkelon and was a member of Hashomer Hatzair. During his military service, he served in Sayeret Matkal, and refused the offer of his unit commander, Ehud Barak, …
- Moshe Arens
Moshe Arens (born 27 December 1925 in Kaunas, Lithuania) is an Israeli politician. He was a member of the Likud party, and served as Minister of Defense three times. Arens immigrated to the United States with his family in 1939 and became an American citizen. As a youth, Arens became a leader in the Betar Zionist youth movement. In 1948, when Israel achieved its independence and was invaded by seven Arab armies, Arens immigrated to Israel and joined the Irgun forces, …
- Ami Ayalon
Ami Ayalon (born 27 June 1945) is an Israeli politician and Member of the Knesset for the Labor Party. He was formerly head of the Shabak, Israel's domestic security agency, and commander-in-chief of the Navy. He came second to Ehud Barak in a Labor leadership runoff on the 12th of June, 2007.
- Meir Kahane
Rabbi Meir David Kahane (also known by the pseudonyms Michael King, David Sinai and Hayim Yerushalmi, 1 August 1932 – 5 November 1990) was an American-Israeli Orthodox rabbi, author, political activist, and a former member of the Israeli Knesset. Kahane was known in the United States and Israel for his strong political and nationalist views, …
- Yuval Steinitz
Dr Yuval Steinitz, is an Israeli philosopher and politician who has been a Knesset member for the Likud party since 1999. In the years 2003–2006, he chaired the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. He is married to Gila Cnafi-Steinitz, a judge in the District court of Jerusalem.
- Yuli Tamir
Professor Yuli Tamir (born Yael Tamir, 26 February 1954) is an Israeli scholar and politician and former Minister of Immigrant Absorption. She is now Minister of Education, representing the Labour Party. Between 1972-1974, she served in Aman's 848 Unit, and during the Yom Kippur War, she served as an officer in an outpost on the Sinai. Tamir received a BA in Biology and an MA in Political Science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
- Limor Livnat
Limor Livnat (born in Haifa, 22 September 1950) is an Israeli politician, former education minister and currently a member of the Knesset for Likud. A senior member of the party, Livnat served in Ariel Sharon's government before resigning on January 14, 2006. Her departure followed Sharon's formation of the new Kadima party, while Livnat remained in Likud and left the cabinet along with other Likud members. A resident of Tel Aviv, Livnat is married and has two children.
- Ovadia Yosef
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef is a Haredi rabbi, Talmudic scholar, a recognized authority in Halakha ("Jewish law"). He is the former Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel and the current spiritual leader of the Shas political party in the Knesset (Israel's parliament). Rabbi Yosef is a major figure in Haredi Judaism who is revered by his followers.
- Binyamin Ben-Eliezer
Brigadier-General (Res.) Binyamin "Fouad" Ben-Eliezer (born February 12, 1936) is an Israeli politician and former soldier. He was the first Iraqi Jew to lead the Israeli Labour party. On May 4, 2006, he became Minister of National Infrastructure in the Kadima led coalition government. Born in Iraq, Ben-Eliezer immigrated to Israel (an action known to Zionists as the aliyah) in 1950. Ben-Eliezer entered the army in 1954, and became a career soldier.
- Reuven Rivlin
Reuven Rivlin (born 9 September, 1939) is an Israeli lawyer, politician, member of the Knesset from the Likud party, and former Speaker of the Knesset. In 2007 he ran for the election for President as the candidate of the Likud party. He withdrew after the first round of voting when it became clear that Kadima MK Shimon Peres had sufficiently broad support to inevitably win in a run-off. Born in Jerusalem, he received a LL.B. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
- Meir Sheetrit
Meir Sheetrit (born 10 October 1948) is an Israeli politician, Knesset member, and Minister of the Interior. He also served as Acting Justice Minister for three months in 2006. Sheetrit was born in Ksar Souk (now Errachidia), in Morocco, in 1957 his family immigrated to Israel. Sheetrit holds a Master's degree in Public Policy from Bar-Ilan University. Sheetrit is married and is a father to two children.
- Colette Avital
Colette Avital (born May 1, 1940) is an Israeli Knesset Member on behalf of the Labor Party, which she has represented since 1999. Born in Bucharest, Romania, she immigrated to Israel with her family in 1950. While still a student, she began working in Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a secretary in order to cover the cost of her tuition. Over the years, she rose through the ranks at the Ministry; she served with the Israeli delegation to Paris (1982-1985), …
- Abba Eban
Abba Eban (born February 2, 1915, died November 17, 2002) was an Israeli diplomat and politician. Born with the name Aubrey Solomon Meir in Cape Town, South Africa, Eban moved to England at an early age. He was educated at St Olave's Grammar School before studying Classics and Oriental languages at Queens' College, Cambridge. After graduating with a "Triple-Starred First", he researched Arabic and Hebrew as a Fellow of Pembroke College from 1938-1939.
- Uzi Landau
Uzi Landau (born August 2, 1943) is an Israeli politician from the Likud party. Landau was born in Haifa. He served in the Paratroopers Brigade of the Israel Defence Forces, and reached the rank of Major. Landau is a systems analyst, with B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from the Technion and a Ph.D. from MIT. He served as the Director-General of the Ministry of Transport, a lecturer in the Technion, a member of the Boards of El Al Israel Airlines, …
- Michael Melchior
Rabbi Michael Melchior (born 31 January 1954) is a Danish-Norwegian rabbi, an Israeli politician and leader of the left-wing religious party Meimad, which he represents in the Knesset.
- Ophir Pines-Paz
Ophir Pines-Paz (born 11 July 1961) is an Israeli politician and former Interior Minister. He is currently a Member of the Knesset for Labour.
- Omri Sharon
Omri Sharon is the son of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and a former member of the Likud party in the Israeli Knesset. Critics accused Sharon and his father, Ariel Sharon, of nepotism, especially when Ariel sent Omri as his unofficial representative for talks with members of the Palestinian Authority. Omri later became involved in a scandal relating to fundraising for his father's 1999 bid to lead the Likud party.
- Shlomo Ben-Ami
Shlomo Ben-Ami (born July 17 1943) is an Israeli diplomat, politician and historian. Ben-Ami was born in Tangier, Morocco to Sephardic Jewish parents. He immigrated to Israel in 1955. He was educated at Tel-Aviv University and Oxford University (England) from which he received a Ph.D. in History. He was a historian at Tel-Aviv University from the mid-1970s, serving as head of the School of History from 1982 to 1986. His initial field of study was Spanish history, …
- Tzachi Hanegbi
Tzachi Hanegbi (born 26 February 1957) is an Israeli politician and Member of the Knesset for Kadima. A former Justice Minister, in 2006 he was indicted for making political appointments to civil service posts during his time as Environment Minister, despite his claims that it was normal practice. His trial is ongoing.
- Levi Eshkol
"', born Levi Shkolnik, Hebrew לֵוִי שׁקוֹלנִיק"'; October 25, 1895 - February 26, 1969), served as the third Prime Minister of Israel from 1963 until his death from a heart attack in 1969. He was the first Israeli Prime Minister to die in office. Levi Shkolnik was born in the village of Oratov near Kiev, Ukraine. His mother came from an Hasidic background and his father came from a family of Mitnagdim.
- Matan Vilnai
Matan Vilnai (born 20 May, 1944) is an Israeli politician and a former Major General in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). He is currently Deputy Defense Minister.
- Ran Cohen
Ran Cohen (born 20 June 1937) is an Israeli politician and Knesset member for Meretz-Yachad. He is a resident of Mevaseret Zion and married with four children. Born in Baghdad, Iraq, Cohen was 13 years old when he immigrated to Israel through Iran. He grew in Kibbutz Gan Shmuel, where he absorbed Socialist and Zionist ideologies. During his military service he rose to the rank of Colonel (Aluf Mishne).
- Aryeh Eldad
Prof. Aryeh Eldad, M.D. (also spelt Arie Eldad, born 1 May 1950) is a member of the Israeli Knesset and a physician. He belongs to the Moledet party, part of the National Union list in the Israeli Knesset. Eldad was born in Tel Aviv in 1950. He is married with five children. His father, Israel Eldad, was a well known Israeli public thinker and formerly one of the leaders of the underground group Lehi. He is a resident of Kfar Adumim.
- Gideon Ezra
Gideon Ezra (born 30 June 1937) is an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset for Kadima. He is Minister of Environmental Protection in the current government. Ezra was born in Jerusalem and served in the Israeli Defense Force between 1955 and1958 in the Nahal. He studied Geography and Political Science at the University of Haifa before starting work in Shabak in 1962.
- Roni Bar-On
Roni Bar-On (born 2 June 1948) is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He was elected to the 17th Knesset on Kadima's list and currently serves as Minister of Finance.
- Effie Eitam
Efraim (Effie) Eitam (Fein) (b. June 25, 1952), is an Israeli politician. Eitam is a Knesset member, head of the Renewed Religious National Zionist party, and the former leader of the National Religious Party. He serves on the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees. An orthodox Jew (Hebrew: חזר בתשובה), he wasborn on Kibbutz Ein Gev and received a secular education. When he was old enough, Eitam joined the Israeli Defence Forces.