is an Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

i politician, 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...

 and the country's Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Regional Development

Regional Development Minister of Israel

The Regional Development Minister is a member of the Israeli cabinet. The post was created following the formation of a new government in March 2009, and is held by Silvan Shalom, who also holds the post of Minister of Development of the Negev and Galilee....

. He previously served as the country's Foreign Minister

Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel

The Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The position is one of the most important in the Israeli cabinet after Prime Minister and Defense Minister...

 and Finance Minister.

Biography

Born in Gabès

Gabès

Gabès , also spelt Cabès, Cabes, Kabes, Gabbs and Gaps, the ancient Tacape, is the capital city of the Gabès Governorate, a province of Tunisia. It lies on the coast of the Gulf of Gabès. With a population of 116,323 it is the 6th largest Tunisian city.-History:Strabo refers to Tacape as an...

, Tunisia to the Sephardi Spanish Jewish Beit Shalom dynasty, Shalom 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 1959. Like most Israelis, he inducted into 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...

 at the age of 18 and achieved the rank of Sergeant.

Shalom attended Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev   is a university in Beersheba, Israel, established in 1969. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has a current enrollment of 17,400 students, and is one of Israel's fastest growing universities....

 in Beersheba

Beersheba

Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....

, from which he received a BA in Economics as well as CPA. certification. He later attended Tel Aviv University

Tel Aviv University

Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...

, from which he received an LLB law degree as well as an MA in Public Policy.

Shalom worked as a journalist before being elected to the Knesset as a member of the Likud party in 1992. A widely unexpected candidate for the post of Foreign Minister, he switched places with Binyamin Netanyahu when the Labor Party left the government in 2002.

After challenging Netanyahu for party leadership in late 2005 and achieving second place, Shalom was granted the second spot on the Likud list to the 2006 general election and thus did not compete in the 11 January 2006 primaries. He was placed seventh on the party's list for the 2009 elections

Israeli legislative election, 2009

Elections for the 18th Knesset were held in Israel on 10 February 2009. These elections became necessary due to the resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as leader of the Kadima party, and the failure of his successor, Tzipi Livni, to form a coalition government...

.

Shalom is married to Israeli talk show host Judy Shalom Nir-Mozes

Judy Shalom Nir-Mozes

Judy Shalom Nir-Mozes is an Israeli socialite and talk show host.-Biography:Judy mozes was born in Ramat Gan to Paula and Noah Mozes, owners of the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, third daughter after Gilad Mozes, who was killed in a car accident in the year 1959 and Arnon Mozes, the current...

. The couple have five children and reside in Ramat Gan.

In January 2010, he asked Pope Benedict XVI to open the wartime archives of the papacy of Pius XII.