Aryeh Altman
Encyclopedia
Aryeh Altman was an Israel
i politician who served as a member of the Knesset
for Herut
and Gahal
between 1951 and 1965.
in the Russian Empire
(today in Ukraine
), Altman studied law and economics at Odessa University
. In 1921 he joined Tzeiri Zion, and chaired the organisation until 1924. After being imprisoned three times by Soviet authorities, he was sent into exile in 1924. He made aliyah
to Mandate Palestine in 1925, and was amongst the founders of the Working Zionists Organization. In 1927 moved to the United States
to study sociology and political science at the University of Detroit
and then New York University
, where he was awarded a PhD in 1935.
In 1928 he joined the Revisionist Zionism
movement, and three years later was elected head of the Revisionist Zionists of America. He returned to Palestine in 1935 following the completion of his PhD, and joined the editorial staff of HaYarden, a Revisionist publication, where he headed the Foreign Affairs department.
In 1937 he became head of the Palestine branch of the Revisionist Zionist Movement, and the following year became a member of the World Presidium of the movement. Between 1939 and 1940 he was a member of the Jewish National Council. Following Ze'ev Jabotinsky's death in 1940 he became head of the Revisionist Zionist's political department. In 1943 he went to Turkey as an emissary to try and save European Jews from the Holocaust
.
In 1945 he became chairman of the Presidium of the Revisionist Zionist Movement in 1945. In the 1949 Knesset elections
he headed the Brit Hatzohar
list, but it failed to cross the electoral threshold. He then joined the rival Revisionist movement, Herut
, and was elected to the Knesset on its list in 1951
. He was re-elected in 1955
, 1959
and 1961
, before losing his seat in the 1965 elections
. Between 1955 and 1965 he also served as a member of Jerusalem city council. He died in 1982 at the age of 80.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i politician who served as a member of 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...
for Herut
Herut
Herut was the major right-wing political party in Israel from the 1940s until its formal merger into Likud in 1988, and an adherent of Revisionist Zionism.-History:...
and Gahal
Gahal
Gahal , lit. Herut-Liberals Bloc) was the major right-wing political faction in Israel led by Menachem Begin from its founding in 1965 until it merged into Likud in 1973.-Background:...
between 1951 and 1965.
Biography
Born in BaltaBalta, Ukraine
Balta is a small city in the Odessa Oblast of south-western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Baltsky Raion , and located approximately 200 kilometers from the oblast capital, Odessa...
in the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
(today in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
), Altman studied law and economics at Odessa University
Odessa University
The I. I. Mechnikov Odessa National University , located in Odessa, Ukraine, is one of the country's major universities. It was founded in 1865, by an edict of Czar Alexander II of Russia, reorganizing the Richelieu Lyceum of Odessa into the new Imperial Novorossiya University. In the Soviet...
. In 1921 he joined Tzeiri Zion, and chaired the organisation until 1924. After being imprisoned three times by Soviet authorities, he was sent into exile in 1924. He 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 Mandate Palestine in 1925, and was amongst the founders of the Working Zionists Organization. In 1927 moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to study sociology and political science at the University of Detroit
University of Detroit Mercy
University of Detroit Mercy is a private, Roman Catholic co-educational university in Detroit, Michigan, United States, affiliated with the Society of Jesus and the Sisters of Mercy. Antoine M. Garibaldi is the president. With origins dating from 1877, it is the largest Roman Catholic university...
and then New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, where he was awarded a PhD in 1935.
In 1928 he joined the Revisionist Zionism
Revisionist Zionism
Revisionist Zionism is a nationalist faction within the Zionist movement. It is the founding ideology of the non-religious right in Israel, and was the chief ideological competitor to the dominant socialist Labor Zionism...
movement, and three years later was elected head of the Revisionist Zionists of America. He returned to Palestine in 1935 following the completion of his PhD, and joined the editorial staff of HaYarden, a Revisionist publication, where he headed the Foreign Affairs department.
In 1937 he became head of the Palestine branch of the Revisionist Zionist Movement, and the following year became a member of the World Presidium of the movement. Between 1939 and 1940 he was a member of the Jewish National Council. Following Ze'ev Jabotinsky's death in 1940 he became head of the Revisionist Zionist's political department. In 1943 he went to Turkey as an emissary to try and save European Jews from the Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
.
In 1945 he became chairman of the Presidium of the Revisionist Zionist Movement in 1945. In the 1949 Knesset elections
Israeli legislative election, 1949
Elections for the Constituent Assembly were held in newly independent Israel on 25 January 1949. Voter turnout was 86.9%. Two days after its first meeting on 14 February 1949, legislators voted to change the name of the body to the Knesset...
he headed the Brit Hatzohar
Hatzohar
Hatzohar , officially Brit HaTzionim HaRevizionistim was a Revisionist Zionist organisation and political party in Mandate Palestine and newly-independent Israel.-Background:...
list, but it failed to cross the electoral threshold. He then joined the rival Revisionist movement, Herut
Herut
Herut was the major right-wing political party in Israel from the 1940s until its formal merger into Likud in 1988, and an adherent of Revisionist Zionism.-History:...
, and was elected to the Knesset on its list in 1951
Israeli legislative election, 1951
Elections for the second Knesset were held in Israel on 30 July 1951. Voter turnout was 75.1%.-Results:¹ Rostam Bastuni, Avraham Berman and Moshe Sneh left Mapam and set up the Left Faction. Bastuni later returned to Mapam whilst Berman and Sneh joined Maki. Hannah Lamdan and David Livschitz left...
. He was re-elected in 1955
Israeli legislative election, 1955
Elections for the third Knesset were held in Israel on 26 July 1955. Voter turnout was 82.8%.-Results:Mapai retained its plurality in the Knesset, although its share of the vote dropped by 5.1 and its share of seats dropped from 47 to 40...
, 1959
Israeli legislative election, 1959
Elections for the fourth Knesset were held in Israel on 3 November 1959. Voter turnout was 81.5%.-Results:¹ The General Zionists and the Progressive Party merged to form the Liberal Party....
and 1961
Israeli legislative election, 1961
Elections for the fifth Knesset were held in Israel on 15 August 1961. Voter turnout was 81.6%.-Results:¹ Eight MKs broke away from Mapai to establish Rafi² Herut and the Liberal Party merged to form Gahal...
, before losing his seat in the 1965 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1965
Elections for the sixth Knesset were held in Israel on 1 November 1965. Voter turnout was 85.9%.-Background:Prior to the elections, two major alliances were formed; Mapai and Ahdut HaAvoda united to form the Alignment, whilst Herut and the Liberal Party had formed the Gahal alliance towards the end...
. Between 1955 and 1965 he also served as a member of Jerusalem city council. He died in 1982 at the age of 80.