Leader of the Opposition (Israel)

parliamentary position in the Israeli Knesset

The Leader of the Opposition (Hebrew: רֹאשׁ הַאוֹפּוֹזִיצְיָה, Rosh HaOpozitzya) is the politician who heads the official Opposition bloc in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. The leader of the Opposition is by convention the head of the political party not within the government according to the most votes received in the previous election.

Leader of the Opposition
יוֹשֵׁב רֹאשׁ הַאוֹפּוֹזִיצְיָה
Yoshev Rosh Ha-Opozitzya
Incumbent
Yair Lapid

since 29 December 2022
Term lengthWhile leader of the largest political party not in government
First holderMeir Ya'ari

List of Opposition leaders change

Leaders of the largest opposition party change

Name
(Birth–Death)
Portrait Party Term
Meir Ya'ari
מאיר יערי
(1897–1987)
  Mapam 1949 – 1951
Peretz Bernstein
פרץ ברנשטיין
(1890–1971)
  General Zionists 1951 – 1952
Meir Ya'ari
מאיר יערי
(1897–1987)
  Mapam 1952 – 1955
Peretz Bernstein
פרץ ברנשטיין
(1890–1971)
  General Zionists 1955
Menachem Begin
מנחם בגין
(1913–1992)
  Herut/Gahal 1955 – 1967
Meir Ya'ari
מאיר יערי
(1897–1987)
  Mapam 1967 – 1969
Yitzhak-Meir Levin
יצחק-מאיר לוין
(1893–1971)
  Agudat Yisrael 1969 – 1970
Menachem Begin
מנחם בגין
(1913–1992)
  Likud 1970 – 1977
Shimon Peres
שמעון פרס
(1923–2016)
  Alignment 1977 – 1984
Yuval Ne'eman
יובל נאמן
(1925–2006)
  Tehiya 1984 – 1988
Shulamit Aloni
שולמית אלוני
(1928–2014)
  Ratz 1988 – 1990
Shimon Peres
שמעון פרס
(1923–2016)
  Labor 1990 – 1992
Yitzhak Shamir
יצחק שמיר
(1915–2012)
  Likud 1992 – 1993
Benjamin Netanyahu
בנימין נתניהו
(born 1949)
  Likud 1993 – 1996
Shimon Peres
שמעון פרס
(1923–2016)
  Labor 1996 – 1997
Ehud Barak
אהוד ברק
(born 1942)
  Labor 1997 – 1999
Ariel Sharon
אריאל שרון
(1928–2014)
  Likud 1999 – 2000

Designated Opposition Leaders change

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 Party Term
Ariel Sharon
אריאל שרון
(1928–2014)
  Likud 30 July 2000 – 7 March 2001
Yossi Sarid
יוסי שריד
(1940–2015)
  Meretz 7 March 2001 – 4 November 2002
Binyamin Ben-Eliezer
בנימין בן אליעזר
(1936–2016)
  Labor 4 November 2002 – 28 February 2003
Amram Mitzna
עמרם מצנע
(born 1945)
  Labor 28 February 2003 – 13 May 2003
Dalia Itzik
דליה איציק
(born 1952)
  Labor 13 May 2003 – 25 June 2003
Shimon Peres
שמעון פרס
(1923–2016)
  Labor 25 June 2003 – 10 January 2005
Yosef Lapid
יוסף לפיד
(1931–2008)
  Shinui 10 January 2005 – 23 November 2005
Amir Peretz
עמיר פרץ
(born 1952)
  Labor 23 November 2005 – 16 January 2006
Benjamin Netanyahu
בנימין נתניהו
(born 1949)
  Likud 16 January 2006 – 6 April 2009
Tzipi Livni
ציפי לבני
(born 1958)
  Kadima 6 April 2009 – 2 April 2012
Shaul Mofaz
שאול מופז
(born 1948)
  Kadima 2 April 2012 – 9 May 2012
Shelly Yachimovich
שלי יחימוביץ׳
(born 1960)
  Labor 9 May 2012 – 23 July 2012
Shaul Mofaz
שאול מופז
(born 1948)
  Kadima 23 July 2012 – 5 February 2013
Shelly Yachimovich
שלי יחימוביץ׳
(born 1960)
  Labor 5 February 2013 – 25 November 2013
Isaac Herzog
יצחק הרצוג
(1960–)
  Zionist Union
(Labor)
25 November 2013 – 31 July 2018
Tzipi Livni
ציפי לבני
(born 1958)
  Zionist Union
(Hatnuah)
1 August 2018 – 1 January 2019
Shelly Yachimovich
שלי יחימוביץ׳
(born 1960)
  Labor 1 January 2019 – 30 April 2019
Vacant[a] 30 April 2019 – 17 May 2020
Yair Lapid
יאיר לפיד
(born 1963)
  Yesh Atid 17 May 2020 – 13 June 2021
Benjamin Netanyahu
בִּנְיָמִין נְתַנְיָהוּ
(born 1949)
  Likud 13 June 2021 – 29 December 2022
Yair Lapid
יאיר לפיד
(born 1963)
  Yesh Atid 29 December 2022 – present

Notes change

  1. No coalition was formed during the 2019–2021 Israeli political crisis