The department was created under a deputy ministry called the Ministry of Israeli Society and the World Jewish Community in 1999, with a budget of approximately $2 million. Rabbi
Michael Melchior was the inaugural minister, with the goal to improve Israel-
Jewish diaspora relations, combat antisemitism, and create education and Israel experience programs. The ministry was temporarily closed in February 2007, with responsibilities moved to the Department for Policy and Implementation in the
Prime Minister's Office. Amid the global rise of
antisemitism during the
Gaza war, the ministry allocated $2.2 million for protecting Jewish institutions and programs in Jewish schools. In January 2024, the Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at
Tel Aviv University called in a report for the Israeli government to shut down the ministry, stating that it was "established for political reasons, lacked vision and substance, and had promoted few initiatives. The center recommended the ministry's duties be divided between the
Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office. The report's conclusions mirrored the beliefs of some Israeli diplomats that the ministry lacked purpose and did not have the personnel to fight antisemitism abroad. ==List of portfolio holders==