Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
Israel Parties

Also see Israel Ministers

1949-51 Party Chairperson of WIZO party Rachel Cohen-Kagan
One of only two women to sign the Declaration of Independence. Founding member of WIZO movement and Israeli chairperson 1951-61. Headed the Social Welfare department in the Vaad Leumi (provisional government under British Mandate) 1946-48. Mother of two. Lived (1888–1982).

1949-51 Party Whip of Mapai party Yehudit Simhoni
Mapai Party is today known as the Labour Party. She emigrated from Ukraine in 1921. Volunteered to the women corps and served as Major, 1948-49. Mother of three. Lived (1902–1991).

1949 Party Chairperson of Poelet Datit (Religious worker) Tova Sanhedrai
1960's/1970's Group Chairperson of the NRP (National Religious Party) in the Knesset
Deputy Speaker of the Knesset 1963-73

1960's Group Chairperson of the Ahdut HaAvoda party in the Knesset Ruth Haktin
Deputy Speaker of the Knesset 1965-69. She lived (1901-91).

1965-69 Secretary General of the Labour Party Golda Meïr
1967-74 Party Chairperson
Ambassador, Minister of Labour, Foreign Affairs and Premier Minister

1965-69 Group Chairperson of the Mapam party (United Worker’s Union) Emma Levin Talmi
At the same time Deputy Speaker of the Knesset.

1969-73 Group chairperson of Herut party in the Knesset Esther Raziel-Naor
Member of the underground Etzel movement. Herut party is today known as the Likud party. MK 1949-74. Mother of three. Lived (1911-2002).

1970s Chairperson of the Secretariat of the Ratz party Shlomit Koenig

1973-97 Chairperson of Ratz (Civil Right's Party) Shulamit Aloni
1993-96 Chairperson of Meretz (The leftwing Alliance)
She held a number of ministerial posts

1977-81 and 1984-88 Group Chairperson of Mapam Party in the Knesset Haika Grossman-Orkin
She was also Deputy Speaker of Knesset.

1977 Chairperson of Women Rights party, Shoshana Elings
List was established by feminist MK Marcia Friedman. The list was not elected to Knesset. (d. 2006).

1978-92 Co-Leader of Tehiya (Zionist Revival Movement) Geula Cohen
Former Vice-Minister

1981 Leader of a Retirees party Miriam Gahatia
She led the party in the elections, but the list was not elected to Knesset

1982-88 Whip of the Labour Party Edna Solodar
1984-88 Joint Whip of the Coalition Parties
Co-Secretary General of the Kibbutz movement 1972-76. (b. 1930-)..

1984-92 Group Chairperson of Likud in the Knesset Sara Doron
Former Minister

1993-.. Chairperson of Yemin Yisrael Party Miriam Lapid
Was not elected to Knesset. Mother of Fifteen. Widowed in a terror attack.

1994-97 Secretary General of the Ratz Party Zehava Gal-On
1997-99 Member of the Secretary General's Council of the Meretz Party
1999-2009 Group Chairperson of Meretz and the Democratic Choice in the Knesset
2012- Party Chairperson (Leader)
Galon was MP until 2009 and again from 2011. (b. 1956-).

1996-2006 Chairperson of Gil (Retirees Party) Nava Arad
2006- Secretary General of the Party
Nava Arad was a Labor MK in the past and the Prime Minister’s Advisor on Women’s issues. This attempt of a Retirees party did not succeed. The list was not elected to Knesset until 2006 when it surprisingly won 7 seats. (b. 1938-)

1996 Party Chairperson of the Organization for Democratic Action (ODA) Samia Khatib
An Arab-Israeli woman

1997-2008/09 Secretary General of the Environmentalist Green Party Hadas Shahnai
Member of Tel Aviv City Council (b. 1964)

1998-2001 Chairperson of The Pnina Rosenblum Party (or Tnufa) Pnina Rosenblum
A women's issues anti-violence party founded by cosmetics figure. The list was not elected to the Knesset. She later joined the Likud party and was an MP 2005-06. (b. 1954)

1999 Chairperson of the Yesh Party Prof. Esther Herzog
Yesh was formed in 1992 by three women in leading academic and municipal positions. "Yesh" is a acronym in Hebrew for equal representation. The party withdrew from the race due to financial difficulties.

1999- Party Chairperson of the Organization for Democratic Action (ODA) Isma Agbarya
She is an Arab-Israeli. Not elected to the Knesset. (b. 1974)

1999 Chairperson of the Negev Party Rina Ramot
Representing the southern area of Israel. It was not elected to Knesset.

Until 2000 Council Chairperson of Meimad Party Tova Ilan
2006- Acting Council Chairperson
She served briefly as MK in 2006. Meimad is a Social Religious Party. (b. 1929)

2000-03 Group Chairperson of Israel BaAliyah in the Knesset Dr. Marina Solodkin
Former Deputy Minister.

2000-04 Secretary General of the Meretz Party Michal Shohat
Former member of Jerusalem city council.

2000’s Chairperson of Yemin Yisrael Party Eleonora Shifrin
Was not elected to Knesset.

2000’s General Manager of the National Union Party Larisa Gerstein
Member of Jerusalem city council and former Deputy Mayor.

2001-03 Group Chairperson of the Center Party in the Knesset Nehama Ronen
Director General in Ministry of Environment 1996-99. Merged with Center Party in 1999 as Chairperson of Enviromentalist ”Kol HaSviva” Party. (b. 1961-).

Before 2003 General Manager of the Israel Beytenu party Ludmila Grossman

2003-05 Group Chairperson of the Labour Party in the Knesset Dalia Itzik
2009-13 Group Chairperson of Kadima in the Knesset
MK until 2013. Minister several times and Speaker of the Knesset 2006-09.

2003-13 General Manager of the Israel Beitenu party Faina Kirshenbaum
Member of the Knesset from 2009 and Deputy Minister of Interior from 2013.

2005-06 General Manager of the Shinui Party Aliza Folger-Galili

2006-07 Group Chairperson of the Israel Beitenu Party in the Knesset Esterina Tartman
Designate Minister of Tourism in 2007.

2008-12 Chairperson of Kadima Tzipi Livni
2009-12 Leader of the Opposition
2012- Chairperson of Hatnua Birshut Tzipi Livni (The Movement Headed by Tzipi Livni)
2014- Co-Leader of the Zionist Union
MP 1999-2012, Held a number of ministerial positions since 2001 including the post of Minister and Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister 2006-09, founding member of Kadima in 2005, Hatnua in 2012 and the Zionist Union with Labour in 2014.. (b. 1958-).

2010- Co-Chairperson of the Green Movement Party Racheli Tidhar-Caner

2011-12 Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group of the Party Independence Einat Wilf
MK until 2013. Elected as Labour MP, which split in two groups. She holds a PhD in Political Science and is mother of one. (b. 1970-)

2011-13 Chairperson of the Labour Party Shelly Yacimovich
2012 and 2013 Leader of the Opposition
MK from 2006 and Chair of the Child Rights Committee and the Knesset Ethics Committee, journalist and divorced and a mother of 2. (b. 1960-)

2011- Chairperson of the Executive of the Meretz Party Michal Rosin
Mother of 3. (b. 1969-)

2012- Chairperson of the Calcala party (Economy Party) Yulia Shamalov-Berkovich
MK for Kadima since 2009 and prior to that the general director of te Russian language television channel in Israel.

2012- Chairperson of the Haim BeKavod party Ruth Denino

2013-15 Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group of HaBayit HaYehudi Ayelet Shaked
It is a joined list for the National Religious Party and the National Union. Minister of Justice from 2015. (b. 1976-)

2015- Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group of Labour Merav Michaeli
MK since 2013.