Fourth government of Israel

The fourth government of Israel was formed by David Ben-Gurion during the second Knesset on 24 December 1952.

Fourth government of Israel
4th Cabinet of Israel
Date formed	24 December 1952 (1952-12-24)
Date dissolved	26 January 1954 (1954-01-26)
People and organisations
Head of state	Yitzhak Ben-Zvi
Head of government	David Ben-Gurion (to 7 December 1953) Moshe Sharett (acting from 7 December 1953)
Member parties	Mapai General Zionists Progressive Party Hapoel HaMizrachi Poalei Agudat Yisrael Mizrachi Democratic List for Israeli Arabs Progress and Work Agriculture and Development
Status in legislature	Coalition
Opposition leader	Meir Ya'ari
History
Legislature term	2nd Knesset
Predecessor	3rd cabinet of Israel
Successor	5th cabinet of Israel

Ministers of the Fourth Government with the President on 24 December 1952. Sitting from left to right: Ben-Zion Dinor, David Ben-Gurion, President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, Dov Yosef. Standing from left to right: Peretz Naftali, Levi Eshkol, Pinchas Lavon, Yosef Serlin, Golda Meir, Pinhas Rosen, Moshe Sharett, Israel Rokach and Peretz Bernstein.

History

Ben-Gurion dropped the ultra-orthodox parties Agudat Yisrael and Poalei Agudat Yisrael from his coalition and replaced them with the General Zionists and the Progressive Party, who formed the government together with Mapai, Mizrachi, Hapoel HaMizrachi, the Democratic List for Israeli Arabs, Progress and Work and Agriculture and Development.

The government fell when Ben-Gurion resigned on 6 December 1953 and moved to the Negev kibbutz of Sde Boker.

Fourth Government of Israel
Portfolio	Minister	Party
Prime Minister Minister of Defense	David Ben-Gurion		Mapai
Minister of Agriculture	Peretz Naftali		Mapai
Minister of Development	Dov Yosef (15 June 1953 – 24 January 1954)		Mapai
Minister of Education and Culture	Ben-Zion Dinor		Not an MK
Minister of Finance	Levi Eshkol		Mapai
Minister of Foreign Affairs	Moshe Sharett		Mapai
Minister of Health	Yosef Sapir (24 December 1952 – 29 December 1953)		General Zionists
	Yosef Serlin (29 December 1953 – 26 January 1954)
Minister of Internal Affairs	Israel Rokah		General Zionists
Minister of Justice	Pinchas Rosen		Progressive Party
Minister of Labour	Golda Meir		Mapai
Minister of Police	Bechor-Shalom Sheetrit		Mapai
Minister of Postal Services	Yosef Burg		Hapoel HaMizrachi
Minister of Religions Minister of Welfare	Haim-Moshe Shapira		Hapoel HaMizrachi
Minister of Trade and Industry	Peretz Bernstein		General Zionists
Minister of Transportation	Yosef Serlin (24 December 1952 – 29 December 1953)		General Zionists
	Yosef Sapir (29 December 1953 – 26 January 1954)
Minister without Portfolio	Dov Yosef (24 December 1952 – 15 June 1953)		Mapai
	Pinhas Lavon		Mapai
Deputy Minister of Agriculture	Yosef Efrati		Mapai
Deputy Minister of Religions	Zerach Warhaftig (5 January 1953 – 24 January 1954)		Hapoel HaMizrachi
Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry	Zalman Suzayiv (15 June 1953 – 24 January 1954)		General Zionists
Deputy Minister of Welfare	Shlomo-Yisrael Ben-Meir (5 January 1953 – 24 January 1954)		Mizrachi