Ministry of Tourism (Israel)


The Ministry of Tourism is the Israeli government office responsible for tourism. The office was created in 1964, with Akiva Govrin being the first minister, but was appended to the Trade and Industry Ministry between 1977 and 1981. The logo for the Ministry depicts the Biblical Spies carrying fruit back from touring the Holy Land.

List of ministers

The Minister of Tourism is the political head of the ministry and a member of the Israeli cabinet. Ehud Barak is the only Prime Minister to have held the position whilst serving as the Prime Minister, whilst Moshe Katsav, who was Minister of Tourism from 1996 to 1999, went on to become President. On one occasion there was a Deputy Minister of Tourism.
#MinisterPartyGovernmentTerm startTerm endNotes
1Akiva GovrinMapai
Alignment
1222 December 196412 January 1966
2Moshe KolIndependent Liberals12 January 196620 June 1977Resigned from the Knesset when appointed Minister in line with party policy
3Gideon PattLikud195 August 198111 August 1981
4Avraham SharirLikud19, 20, 21, 2211 August 1981
Gideon PattLikud23, 2422 December 198813 July 1992
5Uzi BaramLabor Party25, 2613 July 199218 June 1996
6Moshe KatsavLikud2718 June 19966 July 1999
7Ehud BarakOne Israel286 July 19995 August 1999Serving Prime Minister
8Centre Party285 August 19997 March 2001
9Rehavam Ze'eviNational Union297 March 200117 October 2001Assassinated whilst in office
10Binyamin ElonNational Union2931 October 200114 March 2002
11Yitzhak Levy2928 February 2003
Binyamin ElonNational Union3028 February 20036 June 2004Sacked after the National Union refused to support the disengagement plan. In an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to prevent him from being fired before a cabinet vote on the plan by avoiding receiving notification of his sacking, Elon went into hiding.
12Gideon EzraLikud304 July 200410 January 2005Initially appointed Acting Minister of Tourism, with the position made permanent on 31 August 2004
13Avraham HirschsonKadima3010 January 20054 May 2006
14Isaac HerzogLabor Party314 May 200621 March 2007
15Yitzhak AharonovichYisrael Beiteinu3121 March 200716 January 2008
16Ruhama AvrahamKadima3114 July 200831 March 2009
17Stas MisezhnikovYisrael Beiteinu3231 March 200918 March 2013
18Uzi LandauYisrael Beiteinu3318 March 201314 May 2015
19Yariv LevinLikud3414 May 201517 May 2020
20Asaf ZamirBlue and White3517 May 2020

Deputy ministers