First Lady of Israel
Unofficial title of wife of the President of Israel
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First Lady of Israel (Hebrew: הגברת הראשונה של מדינת ישראל) is the unofficial title of the wife of the president of Israel, whose formal title is simply Spouse of the President of Israel (Hebrew: בת הזוג של נשיא מדינת ישראל). The current first lady of Israel is Michal Herzog, wife of President Isaac Herzog.
| First Lady of Israel | |
|---|---|
| |
| Residence | Beit HaNassi |
| Appointer | Knesset |
| Inaugural holder | Vera Weizmann |
| Formation | 17 February 1949 |
History
There is no official role or office of the first lady of Israel,[1] and the title "First Lady" was never adopted by the Ministerial Committee for Symbols and Ceremonies,[2] although Reuven Rivlin's wife Nechama and Isaac Herzog's wife Michal were referred to as "First Lady" in English-language sources during their respective husbands' presidencies.[3][4][5] In 2018, then–prime ministerial spouse Sara Netanyahu was introduced as "First Lady" when receiving US vice president Mike Pence, causing controversy.[2]
First ladies of Israel
| Name | Portrait | Term began | Term ended | President of Israel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vera Weizmann |  |
17 February 1949 | 9 November 1952 | Chaim Weizmann | Wife of the first President of Israel. Born in the Russian Empire and immigrated to the United Kingdom. |
| Rachel Yanait Ben-Zvi | .jpg) |
16 December 1952 | 23 April 1963 | Yitzhak Ben-Zvi | Born in present-day Ukraine, Ben-Zvi was an author, educator and leading proponent of Labor Zionism. |
| Rachel Katznelson-Shazar |  |
21 May 1963 | 24 May 1973 | Zalman Shazar | |
| Nina Katzir |  |
24 May 1973 | 29 May 1978 | Ephraim Katzir | |
| Ofira Navon | _-_Mrs._Ophira_navon.jpg) |
29 May 1978 | 5 May 1983 | Yitzhak Navon | |
| Aura Herzog |  |
5 May 1983 | 13 May 1993 | Chaim Herzog | Founder of the Council for a Beautiful Israel[6] |
| Reuma Weizman | .jpg) |
13 May 1993 | 13 July 2000 | Ezer Weizman | |
| Gila Katsav | .jpg) |
1 August 2000 | 1 July 2007 | Moshe Katsav | Gila Katsav's tenure ended on July 1, 2007, when her husband resigned the presidency.[7] |
| Sonia Peres | _-_Sonia_and_Shimon_Peres_(cropped).jpg){kind=spacer} |
15 July 2007 | 20 January 2011 | Shimon Peres | Sonia Peres, who was Polish-born, disliked the role of wife of a politician and public figure. Though the country's first lady, she and Shimon Peres became estranged circa 2008 over his decision to remain in public office during their later life; the couple lived apart for the remainder of their lives.[8][9] Sonia Peres died in role on January 20, 2011, at the age of 87.[8][10] |
| Position vacant | 20 January 2011 | 24 July 2014 | First Lady Sonia Peres had died on January 20, 2011, while Shimon Peres was still in office. | ||
| Nechama Rivlin | .jpg) |
24 July 2014 | 4 June 2019 | Reuven Rivlin | Nechama Rivlin was a researcher and scientist at Hebrew University. She died in role from complications of a lung transplant on June 4, 2019.[5] |
| Position vacant | 4 June 2019 | 7 July 2021 | First Lady Nechama Rivlin died on June 4, 2019.[5] | ||
| Michal Herzog |  |
7 July 2021 | Present | Isaac Herzog | First Lady Michal Herzog is a lawyer. |