Eighth government of Israel

Sixth Ben-Gurion Cabinet
8th Cabinet of Israel
Date formed	7 January 1958 (1958-01-07)
Date dissolved	17 December 1959 (1959-12-17)
People and organisations
Head of state	Yitzhak Ben-Zvi
Head of government	David Ben-Gurion
Member parties	Mapai Mapam Ahdut HaAvoda Progressive Party National Religious Party Democratic List for Israeli Arabs Progress and Work Agriculture and Development
Status in legislature	Coalition
Opposition leader	Menachem Begin
History
Legislature term	3rd Knesset
Predecessor	7th cabinet of Israel
Successor	9th cabinet of Israel

The eighth government of Israel was formed by David Ben-Gurion on 7 January 1958, and was the second government of the third Knesset. Ben-Gurion kept the same coalition partners as during the previous government, i.e. Mapai, the National Religious Party, Mapam, Ahdut HaAvoda, the Progressive Party, the Democratic List for Israeli Arabs, Progress and Work and Agriculture and Development. The only change to the cabinet was the addition of Shlomo-Yisrael Ben-Meir as a Deputy Minister.

All ministers and deputy ministers from the National Religious Party left the cabinet on 1 July 1958.

The government collapsed following Ben-Gurion's resignation on 5 July 1959 after Ahdut HaAvoda and Mapam voted against the government during a vote on selling arms to West Germany and then refused to resign from the government. New elections were called in November that year after Ben-Gurion told President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi that he was unable to form a new government.^[1]

¹ Although Sapir was not an MK during the third Knesset, he was later an MK for Mapai.

² Carmel did not enter the Knesset until 9 June 1958.

• Third Knesset: Government 8 Knesset website