Limor Livnat

Limor Ahava Livnat (Hebrew: לימור אהבה לבנת; pronunciation^ⓘ; born 22 September 1950) is an Israeli former politician. She served as a member of the Knesset for Likud between 1992 and 2015, and was Minister of Communications, Minister of Education, and Minister of Culture & Sport.

Born in Haifa, Livnat studied at Tel Aviv University. A supporter of Menachem Begin, she joined Herut in 1970, and became head of Likud's youth organisation in 1977. She first entered the Knesset on 14 April 1992, shortly before the 1992 elections, as a replacement for Haim Corfu. She retained her seat in the elections, and in her first full term, served as chairwoman of the Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women, the Subcommittee on Laws of Personal Status and the Parliamentary Committee for Investigating Murder of Women by their Spouses.

She retained her seat in the 1996 elections, and was appointed Minister of Communications in Binyamin Netanyahu's government. During her term, she attempted to increase competition in the Israeli communications sector by weakening and privatizing Bezeq, which had previously held a monopoly over the country's landline phone sector.

Tensions between Livnat and Netanyahu climaxed in the former's resignation from government in 1997 and subsequent attempts to end Netanyahu's leadership of the Likud. Following Netanyahu's resignation from the Likud leadership after the party's defeat in the 1999 elections, Livnat supported Ariel Sharon's successful attempt to serve as the next chairperson of the party. After Sharon's victory over Ehud Barak in the special election for Prime Minister in 2001, Livnat was appointed Minister of Education in both governments he formed.

She was re-elected in 2003, and continued to serve as Minister of Education until Likud left the coalition (now headed by the newly formed Kadima) in 2006. She retained her seat in the 2006 and 2009 elections, after which she was appointed to the new Minister of Culture and Sport post. Prior to the 2013 elections she lost her place as the top-ranking woman in Likud, finishing below Tzipi Hotovely and Miri Regev in the party primaries. However, she was re-elected and continued in the ministerial role.

In December 2014 Livnat announced that she was leaving politics, and would not run in the March 2015 elections.

Livnat has also served as Vice Chairwoman and Acting Chairwoman of the World Likud Movement.

In February 2021, Livnat announced that she was leaving Likud after 51 years of membership in protest of Benjamin Netanyahu signing a surplus agreement with the far-right Religious Zionist Party. She later expressed support for Gideon Sa'ar and his party New Hope.