The Minister of Diaspora Affairs is a post in the Israeli cabinet . The portfolio has gone under several names and was combined with the Jerusalem portfolio between 2013 and 2015. Between June and November 2005 there was also a Deputy Minister.
The combination of the portfolios of Diaspora relations emphasized the role of the ministry of one of the leading spokespersons for the Israeli government abroad, more directly to the Jewish diaspora in comparison to the general state-to-state diplomacy of the Foreign Minister .
List of portfolio holders
| # | Minister | Party | Governments | Term start | Term end | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minister of Social and Diaspora Affairs | ||||||
| 1 | Michael Melchior | One Israel | 28 | August 5, 1999 | March 7, 2001 | |
| 2 | Natan Sharansky | Likud | 30 | March 3, 2003 | May 4, 2006 | |
| Minister of Diaspora, Society and the Fight Against Antisemitism | ||||||
| 3 | Isaac Herzog | Labor Party | 31 | March 21, 2007 | 31 March 2009 | |
| Minister of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs | ||||||
| 4 | Yuli-Yoel Edelstein | Likud | 32 | 31 March 2009 | March 18, 2013 | |
| Minister of Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs | ||||||
| (5) | Benjamin Netanyahu | Likud | 33 | March 18, 2013 | April 29, 2013 | Serving Prime Minister |
| (6) | Naftali Bennett | The Jewish Home | 33 , 34 | April 29, 2013 | 1 June 2015 | |
| Minister of Diaspora Affairs | ||||||
| – | Naftali Bennett | The Jewish Home | 33 , 34 | 1 June 2015 | ||
Deputy ministers
| # | Minister | Party | Governments | Term start | Term end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Melchior | Meimad | 30 | June 20, 2005 | November 23, 2005 |