Aharon Abuhatzira
Encyclopedia
Aharon Abuhatzira is a former Israel
i politician. A former mayor of Ramla
, he held several ministerial portfolios in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but resigned from the cabinet after being convicted of larceny, breach of trust and fraud.
region of Morocco
in 1938, Abuhatzira made aliyah
to Israel in 1949. He was educated at the Bnei Akiva
yeshiva
in Kfar Haroeh
, before graduating from a Teachers' Seminary in Jerusalem and receiving a BA from Bar-Ilan University
. He went on to work as a high school teacher.
He was elected to Ramla city council in 1969 and in 1972 became its mayor. He was elected to the Knesset
in 1977 on the National Religious Party
's list, and was appointed Minister of Religions in Menachem Begin
's government
.
In June 1980 Israel Police
began investigating claims that Abuhatzira had received 52,500 shekels from religious institutions in 1978 and 1979 for giving funds to non-existent yeshiva
s. Although he denied the allegations, stating that they were "provocation and a libel", in December 1980 Attorney General
Yitzhak Zamir
requested that the Knesset lift Abuhatzira's parliamentary immunity
so that he could be charged with bribery.
On 13 January 1981 the Knesset plenum agreed to remove his parliamentary immunity. In protest, Abuhatzira left the NRP and formed his own party, Tami
. The party won three seats in the 1981 elections
and was included in Begin's new government
. Despite the legal case, Abuhatzira was appointed both Minister of Immigrant Absorption
and Minister of Labor and Social Welfare. However, after being found guilty on 19 April 1982, he resigned from the cabinet on 30 April, after which fellow Tami MK Aharon Uzan
took over his portfolios. He was sentenced to a suspended sentence of four years and three months; thirty months for larceny, eighteen months for breach of trust and fraud by an administrator, and three months for breach of trust by a public servant.
Despite his conviction, Abuhatzira was re-elected in the 1984 elections
, though Tami won just a single seat. Towards the end of the Knesset term he merged the party into Likud
, and in the 1988 elections
, won a seat on the Likud list, but failed to retain it in the 1992 vote
.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i politician. A former mayor of Ramla
Ramla
Ramla , is a city in central Israel. The city is predominantly Jewish with a significant Arab minority. Ramla was founded circa 705–715 AD by the Umayyad Caliph Suleiman ibn Abed al-Malik after the Arab conquest of the region...
, he held several ministerial portfolios in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but resigned from the cabinet after being convicted of larceny, breach of trust and fraud.
Biography
Born in the TafilaltTafilalt
Tafilalt or Tafilet is a region and the most important oasis of the Moroccan Sahara; it is also considered one of the largest oases in the world, the oasis is entirely located along the Ziz River. The oasis is ten days' journey south of Fez, across the Atlas Mountains...
region of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
in 1938, Abuhatzira made aliyah
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
to Israel in 1949. He was educated at the Bnei Akiva
Bnei Akiva
Bnei Akiva is the largest religious Zionist youth movement in the world, with over 125,000 members in 37 countries. It was established in Mandate Palestine in 1929.-History:...
yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
in Kfar Haroeh
Kfar Haroeh
Kfar Haroeh is a religious moshav in central Israel. Located in the coastal plain between Hadera and Netanya, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hefer Valley Regional Council. In 2007 it had a population of 1,500....
, before graduating from a Teachers' Seminary in Jerusalem and receiving a BA from Bar-Ilan University
Bar-Ilan University
Bar-Ilan University is a university in Ramat Gan of the Tel Aviv District, Israel.Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is now Israel's second-largest academic institution. It has nearly 26,800 students and 1,350 faculty members...
. He went on to work as a high school teacher.
He was elected to Ramla city council in 1969 and in 1972 became its mayor. He was elected to the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
in 1977 on the National Religious Party
National Religious Party
The National Religious Party ) was a political party in Israel representing the religious Zionist movement. Formed in 1956, at the time of its dissolution in 2008, it was the second oldest surviving party in the country after Agudat Yisrael, and was part of every government coalition until 1992...
's list, and was appointed Minister of Religions in Menachem Begin
Menachem Begin
' was a politician, founder of Likud and the sixth Prime Minister of the State of Israel. Before independence, he was the leader of the Zionist militant group Irgun, the Revisionist breakaway from the larger Jewish paramilitary organization Haganah. He proclaimed a revolt, on 1 February 1944,...
's government
Eighteenth government of Israel
The eighteenth government of Israel was formed by Menachem Begin on 20 June 1977, following the May 1977 elections. It was the first government in Israeli political history led by a right-wing party, with the coalition consisting of Begin's Likud , the National Religious Party and Agudat...
.
In June 1980 Israel Police
Israel Police
The Israel Police is the civilian police force of Israel. As with most other police forces in the world, its duties include crime fighting, traffic control, maintaining public safety, and counter-terrorism...
began investigating claims that Abuhatzira had received 52,500 shekels from religious institutions in 1978 and 1979 for giving funds to non-existent yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
s. Although he denied the allegations, stating that they were "provocation and a libel", in December 1980 Attorney General
Attorney General of Israel
The Attorney General of Israel stands at the head of the legal system of the executive branch and the head of the public legal establishment, in charge of protecting the rule of law and as such entrusted with protecting the public interest from possible harm by government authorities...
Yitzhak Zamir
Yitzhak Zamir
Yitzhak Zamir is a professor of public law and Dean of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Faculty of Law, a former Attorney General of Israel, first Dean of the University of Haifa's Law Faculty, and Judge in the Israeli Supreme Court.-Biography:Zamir was born in Warsaw in Poland on April 15,...
requested that the Knesset lift Abuhatzira's parliamentary immunity
Parliamentary immunity
Parliamentary immunity, also known as legislative immunity, is a system in which members of the parliament or legislature are granted partial immunity from prosecution. Before prosecuting, it is necessary that the immunity be removed, usually by a superior court of justice or by the parliament itself...
so that he could be charged with bribery.
On 13 January 1981 the Knesset plenum agreed to remove his parliamentary immunity. In protest, Abuhatzira left the NRP and formed his own party, Tami
Tami
Tami was a Mizrahi-dominated political party in Israel during the 1980s. It was led by Aharon Abuhatzira for its entire existence.-Background:...
. The party won three seats in the 1981 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1981
Elections for the tenth Knesset were held in Israel on 30 June 1981. Despite last minute polls suggesting a victory for Shimon Peres's Alignment, Menachem Begin's Likud won by just one seat...
and was included in Begin's new government
Nineteenth government of Israel
The Nineteenth government of Israel was formed by Menachem Begin on 5 August 1981, following the June elections. Begin included Likud, the National Religious Party, Agudat Yisrael, Tami and Telem in his coalition, which held 63 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, and the cabinet had 17 ministers...
. Despite the legal case, Abuhatzira was appointed both Minister of Immigrant Absorption
Immigrant Absorption Minister of Israel
The Ministry of Immigrant Absorption of Israel , known until 1951 as the Ministry of Immigration , a ministry in the Israeli government.In co-ordination with local authorities, the Ministry is responsible for new immigrants for three weeks after they arrive...
and Minister of Labor and Social Welfare. However, after being found guilty on 19 April 1982, he resigned from the cabinet on 30 April, after which fellow Tami MK Aharon Uzan
Aharon Uzan
Aharon Uzan was an Israeli politician who held several ministerial portfolios between the mid-1960s and mid-1980s.-Biography:Uzan was born in Moknine in Tunisia, and was a member of the right-wing Betar movement in his youth. He made aliyah to Israel in 1949 and joined the left-wing Mapai party...
took over his portfolios. He was sentenced to a suspended sentence of four years and three months; thirty months for larceny, eighteen months for breach of trust and fraud by an administrator, and three months for breach of trust by a public servant.
Despite his conviction, Abuhatzira was re-elected in the 1984 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1984
Elections for the eleventh Knesset were held in Israel on 23 July 1984. Voter turnout was 78.8%. The results saw the Alignment return to being the largest party in the Knesset, a status it had lost in 1977...
, though Tami won just a single seat. Towards the end of the Knesset term he merged the party into Likud
Likud
Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...
, and in the 1988 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1988
Elections for the twelfth Knesset were held in Israel on 1 November 1988. Voter turnout was 79.7%.-Results:1 Five members of the Likud left to form the Party for the Advancement of the Zionist Idea; after two returned, the party was renamed the New Liberal Party...
, won a seat on the Likud list, but failed to retain it in the 1992 vote
Israeli legislative election, 1992
Elections for the thirteenth Knesset were held in Israel on 23 June 1992. The result was a victory for the left, led by Yitzhak Rabin's Labor Party, though their win was at least partially due to several small right-wing parties narrowly failing to cross the electoral threshold and thus effectively...
.