Presenting the new Israeli government: Some familiar faces, some new ones moving into their new positions today

JERUSALEM—The members of the 36th Knesset took the traditional photo at the President's House with outgoing President Reuven Rivlin in the center and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and alternate-Prime Minister Yair Lapid at his side.

And now they are off to work.

Incoming Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked said after the photo op that the new ministers were on their way to their respective offices.

The new government has slimmed down from the previous one which was the largest in Israeli history with 35 ministers and the potential to expand to 36 after the COVID pandemic.

This is the first government since 2015 that does not include an ultra-Orthodox party.

And it is the first government that does include an Arab party called Ra'am, from the Islamic Movement.

At noon, former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to begin handing over his office to Bennett, but the usual ceremony was not to take place, according to the Prime Minister's Office.

MINISTERS

Prime Minister/Community Affairs — Naftali Bennett (Yamina)


Alternate Prime Minister/Foreign Affairs — Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid)

Defense/Deputy Prime Minister — Benny Gantz (Blue and White)

Justice/Deputy Prime Minister — Gideon Sa’ar (New Hope)

Finance — Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu)

Interior — Ayelet Shaked (Yamina)

Transportation — Merav Michaeli (Labor)

Education — Yifat Shasha-Biton (New Hope)

Public Security — Omer Bar-Lev (Labor)

Health — Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz)

Tourism — Yoel Razvozov (Yesh Atid)

Aliyah and Integration — Pnina Tamano-Shata (Blue and White)

Culture and Sports — Chili Tropper (Blue and White)

Communications — Yoaz Hendel (New Hope)

Religious Affairs — Matan Kahana (Yamina)

Agriculture — Alon Schuster (Blue and White)

Science and Technology —Orit Farkash-Hacohen (Blue and White)

Energy — Karine Elharrar (Yesh Atid)

Environmental Protection –– Tamar Zandberg (Meretz)

Regional Cooperation — Issawi Frej - (Meretz)

Diaspora Affairs — Nachman Shai (Labor)

Economy — Orna Barbivai (Yesh Atid)

Housing & Jerusalem Affairs — Zeev Elkin (New Hope)

Intelligence — Elazar Stern (Yesh Atid)

Settlement Affairs — Nir Orbach (Yamina)

Social Equality — Meirav Cohen (Yesh Atid)

Agriculture & Negev and Galilee Development — Oded Forer (Yisrael Beytenu)

Labor, Social Affairs, and Social Services — Meir Cohen (Yesh Atid)

Minister in the Finance Ministry — Hamad Amar (Yisrael Beytenu)

Knesset Speaker — Mickey Levy (Yesh Atid)

DEPUTY MINISTERS

Deputy Minister of Arab Affairs in the Prime Minister’s office — Mansour Abbas (Ra’am)

Deputy Minister of Economic Reforms in the Prime Minister’s office — Abir Kara (Yamina)

Deputy Minister of Defense — Alon Schuster (Blue and White)

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs — Idan Roll (Yesh Atid)

Deputy Minister of Internal Security — Yoav Segalovich (Yesh Atid)