The Regional Development Minister (Hebrew: הֲשַׂר לְפִּתּוּחַ אֲזוֹרִי, Sar LePituah Azori) is a member of the Israeli government. Created in 1999 during Ehud Barak's government, the ministry was closed by Ariel Sharon in 2003.[1] However, it was recreated in 2009 by Benjamin Netanyahu.