List of Knesset speakers

Knesset speaker יוֹשֵׁב רֹאשׁ הכנסת Yoshev Rosh HaKnesset
Incumbent Yuli-Yoel Edelstein since 18 March 2013
Formation	14 February 1949
First holder	Yosef Sprinzak

The Speaker of the Knesset (Hebrew: יושב ראש הכנסת‎‎, Yoshev Rosh HaKnesset, literaly: Chairman of the Knesset) is the presiding officer of the Knesset, the unicameral legislature of Israel. The Speaker also acts as President of Israel when the President is incapacitated. The current speaker is Yuli-Yoel Edelstein.

To date, Ahdut HaAvoda's Nahum Nir is the only Speaker not to have come from the ruling party, though in two cases (Avraham Burg and Reuven Rivlin) the party of the speaker (One Israel and Likud respectively) lost power during their term.

The speaker is expected to be objective (ממלכתי Mamlachthi), but they might take part in debates from time to time, and they do vote.

Knesset Speakers (1949–present)

A total of sixteen people have served as Speaker of the Knesset, one of whom, Reuven Rivlin, have served two non-consecutive terms.

Speaker						Knesset
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office		Political Party
1		Yosef Sprinzak יוסף שפרינצק‎ (1885–1959)	14 February 1949	28 January 1959	Mapai	1, 2, 3
2		Nahum Nir נחום ניר‎ (1884–1968)	2 March 1959	30 November 1959	Ahdut HaAvoda	3
3		Kadish Luz קדיש לוז‎ (1895–1972)	30 November 1959	17 November 1969	Mapai, Alignment	4, 5, 6
4		Reuven Barkat ראובן ברקת‎ (1906–1972)	17 November 1969	5 April 1972	Alignment	7
5		Yisrael Yeshayahu ישראל ישעיהו שרעבי‎ (1908–1979)	9 May 1972	13 June 1977	Alignment	7, 8
6		Yitzhak Shamir יצחק שמיר‎ (1915–2012)	13 June 1977	10 March 1980	Likud	9
7		Yitzhak Berman יצחק ברמן‎ (1913–2013)	12 March 1980	20 July 1981	Likud	9
8		Menachem Savidor מנחם סבידור‎ (1917–1988)	20 July 1981	13 August 1984	Likud	10
9		Shlomo Hillel שלמה הלל‎ (1923–)	11 September 1984	20 November 1988	Alignment	11
10		Dov Shilansky דב שילנסקי‎ (1924–2010)	21 November 1988	13 July 1992	Likud	12
11		Shevah Weiss שבח וייס‎ (1935–)	13 July 1992	24 June 1996	Labor	13
12		Dan Tichon דן תיכון‎ (1937–)	24 June 1996	7 June 1999	Likud	14
13		Avraham Burg אברהם בורג‎ (1955–)	6 July 1999	17 February 2003	One Israel, Labor	15
14		Reuven Rivlin ראובן ריבלין‎ (1939–)	19 February 2003	4 May 2006	Likud	16
15		Dalia Itzik דליה איציק‎ (1952–)	4 May 2006	30 March 2009	Kadima	17
(14)		Reuven Rivlin ראובן ריבלין‎ (1939–)	30 March 2009	5 February 2013	Likud	18
16		Yuli-Yoel Edelstein יולי-יואל אדלשטיין‎ (1958–)	18 March 2013	Incumbent	Likud	19, 20

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Speakers of the Knesset.

• Knesset Speakers since the first Knesset Knesset website
• Israeli ministries, etc – Rulers.org