Ben-Zion Keshet
Encyclopedia
Ben-Zion Keshet was an Israel
i politician who served as a member of the Knesset
for Gahal
and Likud
between 1969 and 1977.
in the Russian Empire
(today in Latvia
), Keshet attended a Hebrew high school in his home city. He joined the Betar
youth movement and helped establish the Estonian branch in 1932. In 1934 he made aliyah
to Mandate Palestine, where he became a member of the governing council of Betar in 1935. He also became a member of Betar's enlistment battalion and of the central committee of the National Labour Federation in Eretz-Israel, on which he served between 1939 and 1942. From 1942 until 1943 he was a member of the general staff of the Irgun
, before being exiled to Eritrea
in 1944.
He returned to Israel in 1948 and was amongst the founding members of Herut
, chairing its municipal department. He was a member of the Public Council for Soviet Jewry and was on the Controller Committee of Housing Ministry
. In 1969
he was elected to the Knesset on the Gahal list (an alliance of Herut and the Liberal Party
) and became a Deputy Speaker. He was re-elected in 1973
, by which time Gahal had merged into Likud
), but lost his seat in the 1977 elections
. Between 1982 and 1984 he was chairman of the board of directors at the Jabotinsky Institute, before dying in August 1984.
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 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:...
and 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...
between 1969 and 1977.
Biography
Born in RigaRiga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
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 Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
), Keshet attended a Hebrew high school in his home city. He joined the Betar
Betar
The Betar Movement is a Revisionist Zionist youth movement founded in 1923 in Riga, Latvia, by Vladimir Jabotinsky. It has been traditionally linked to the original Herut and then Likud political parties of Israel, and was closely affiliated with the pre-Israel Revisionist Zionist splinter group...
youth movement and helped establish the Estonian branch in 1932. In 1934 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, where he became a member of the governing council of Betar in 1935. He also became a member of Betar's enlistment battalion and of the central committee of the National Labour Federation in Eretz-Israel, on which he served between 1939 and 1942. From 1942 until 1943 he was a member of the general staff of the Irgun
Irgun
The Irgun , or Irgun Zevai Leumi to give it its full title , was a Zionist paramilitary group that operated in Mandate Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of the earlier and larger Jewish paramilitary organization haHaganah...
, before being exiled to Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
in 1944.
He returned to Israel in 1948 and was amongst the founding members of 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:...
, chairing its municipal department. He was a member of the Public Council for Soviet Jewry and was on the Controller Committee of Housing Ministry
Housing and Construction Minister of Israel
The Ministry of Housing and Construction is a portfolio in the Israeli cabinet. The ministry was created in 1961, and until 1977 it was known as the Ministry of Housing. Construction was also previously part of the Labour and Construction ministry during the provisional government between 1948 and...
. In 1969
Israeli legislative election, 1969
Elections for the seventh Knesset were held in Israel on 28 October 1969. Voter turnout was 81.7%.-Results:¹ Meir Avizohar defected from the National List to the Alignment² Avner Shaki left the National Religious Party and remained a single MK...
he was elected to the Knesset on the Gahal list (an alliance of Herut and the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (Israel)
The Israeli Liberal Party was a political party in Israel and is one of the ancestors of the modern-day Likud.-History:The Liberal Party was formed on 8 May 1961, towards the end of the fourth Knesset, by a merger of the General Zionists and the Progressive Party, with the new party having 14...
) and became a Deputy Speaker. He was re-elected in 1973
Israeli legislative election, 1973
The Elections for the eighth Knesset were held on 31 December 1973. Voter turnout was 78.6%.-Results:1 Aryeh Eliav left the Alignment and merged with Ratz to form Ya'ad - Civil Rights Movement...
, by which time Gahal had merged 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...
), but lost his seat in the 1977 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1977
The Elections for the ninth Knesset were held on 17 May 1977. For the first time in Israeli political history, the right-wing, led by Likud, won the election, ending almost 30 years of rule by the left-wing Alignment and its predecessor, Mapai...
. Between 1982 and 1984 he was chairman of the board of directors at the Jabotinsky Institute, before dying in August 1984.