Leader of the Opposition (Israel)

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 length	While leader of the largest political party not in government
First holder	Meir Ya'ari

List of Opposition leaders

Leaders of the largest opposition party

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

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

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