Menachem Savidor
Encyclopedia
Menachen Savidor was an Israel
i civil servant and politician who served as a member of the Knesset
for Likud
from 1977 until 1984. Between 1981 and 1984 he was the Knesset's eighth Speaker.
(today Artemivsk
in Ukraine
), Savidor attended high school in Poland
and Vilnius University
.
In 1941, he made aliyah
to Mandate Palestine, and enlisted in the British Army
. He was demobilised in 1946, and enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces
in 1938. He founded the Military School for Organisation and Management, and was its first commander. He also headed the Police and Discipline Branch. In 1953, he was demobilised with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
In 1953, he joined the General Zionists
party and was also appointed deputy director of the Ministry of Transportation. The following year he became director-general of Israel Railways
, a post he held until 1964 when he was appointed director-general of Vered, a subsidiary of the Rassco
housing company. After leaving the role in 1967, he served as director-general of a citrus fruit export company until 1977.
He was elected onto Tel Aviv
city council, and headed the Gahal
faction (an alliance of the Liberal Party
(which the General Zionists had merged into) and Herut
) from 1969 until 1974. He became deputy chairman of the Liberal Party's central committee and headed its political think tank. In 1977
he was elected to the Knesset
on the Likud list (an alliance of the Liberal Party, Herut and other right-wing parties). He was re-elected in 1981
, and was appointed Speaker of the Knesset, replacing Yitzhak Berman
.
Having lost his seat in the 1984 elections
, Savidor was appointed chairman of the Public Committee to Rehabilitate the Economy in 1985. In 1987 he became chairman of the Fund for the Security of Israel, but died the following year at the age of 71.
The Tel Aviv Savidor Central Railway Station is named after him.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i civil servant and 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 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...
from 1977 until 1984. Between 1981 and 1984 he was the Knesset's eighth Speaker.
Biography
Born Menachem Khodorovsky in Bakhmut in the Russian EmpireRussian 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 Artemivsk
Artemivsk
Artemivsk or Artemovsk is a city in the Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Artemivsky Raion. It is located on the Bahmutka River about 89 km away from the administrative center of the Donetsk Oblast, Donetsk. As of 2005, its population is 80,655.-History:There is...
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...
), Savidor attended high school in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Vilnius University
Vilnius University
Vilnius University is the oldest university in the Baltic states and one of the oldest in Eastern Europe. It is also the largest university in Lithuania....
.
In 1941, 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, and enlisted in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. He was demobilised in 1946, and enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
in 1938. He founded the Military School for Organisation and Management, and was its first commander. He also headed the Police and Discipline Branch. In 1953, he was demobilised with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
In 1953, he joined the General Zionists
General Zionists
The General Zionists were centrists within the Zionist movement and a political party in Israel. Their political arm is an ancestor of the modern-day Likud.-History:...
party and was also appointed deputy director of the Ministry of Transportation. The following year he became director-general of Israel Railways
Israel Railways
Israel Railways is the principal passenger railway operating company in Israel, and is responsible for all inter-city and suburban rail way passenger and freight traffic in the country. All its lines are standard gauge. The network is centered in Israel's densely populated coastal plain, from...
, a post he held until 1964 when he was appointed director-general of Vered, a subsidiary of the Rassco
Rassco
Rassco is a neighborhood in central Jerusalem, Israel, built by the Rassco housing company. Rassco is located between Rehavia and Katamon.Young families moving into the neighborhood have planted a communal garden as part of a wider initiative in Jerusalem to cultivate interest in nature and...
housing company. After leaving the role in 1967, he served as director-general of a citrus fruit export company until 1977.
He was elected onto Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
city council, and headed the 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:...
faction (an alliance of 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...
(which the General Zionists had merged into) and 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:...
) from 1969 until 1974. He became deputy chairman of the Liberal Party's central committee and headed its political think tank. In 1977
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...
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...
on the Likud list (an alliance of the Liberal Party, Herut and other right-wing parties). He was re-elected in 1981
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 appointed Speaker of the Knesset, replacing Yitzhak Berman
Yitzhak Berman
Yitzhak Berman is a former Israeli politician who served as Minister of Energy and Infrastructure from August 1981 until September 1982. He was also Speaker of the Knesset from 1980 until 1981.-Biography:...
.
Having lost his seat 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...
, Savidor was appointed chairman of the Public Committee to Rehabilitate the Economy in 1985. In 1987 he became chairman of the Fund for the Security of Israel, but died the following year at the age of 71.
The Tel Aviv Savidor Central Railway Station is named after him.