On Sunday, November 20, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud) has concluded a consecutive seven years and 235 days in office, matching the record of Israel’s legendary first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion (Mapai-Labor).
This means that, barring a Knesset vote of no confidence on Sunday, as of Monday Netanyahu will become Israel’s longest serving PM in consecutive years.
However, when it comes to time in office, Ben-Gurion is still way ahead of his much younger successor. When combining his two terms, Ben-Gurion clocked 13 years and 127 days, compared with Netanyahu’s mere 10 years and 252 days.
Interestingly, Netanyahu’s most ardent foe these days, Ehud Barak, served the shortest term in office as Prime Minister: eight months and one day.
And to those of you, political sports fans, who are interested in these stats, here is the full list of also ran:
3. Yitzhak Shamir: 6 years and 242 days (first term: 339 days; second term: 5 years and 268 days)
4. Yitzhak Rabin: 6 years and 132 days (first term: 3 years and 18 days; second term: 3 years and 114 days)
5. Menachem Begin: 6 years and 113 days
6. Levi Eshkol: 5 years and 247 days
7. Ariel Sharon: 5 years and 39 days (Including a 100 days period of “temporary incapacitation” wherein the Prime minister’s authorities were delegated to the Designated Acting Prime Minister)
8. Golda Meir: 5 years and 19 days
9. Ehud Olmert: 2 years and 351 days (In addition, served as Acting Prime Minister, wherein the Prime Minister’s authorities were delegated to him) Shimon Peres: 2 years and 264 days (first term: 2 years and 37 days; second term: 227 days)
10. Moshe Sharett: 1 year and 281 days