Uri Ariel
Encyclopedia
Uri Yehuda Ariel is an Israel
i politician who current serves as a member of the Knesset
for the National Union
.
, Ariel served in a combat unit called Palsar 7 in the Israel Defense Forces
and retired as a major. He became involved in Israeli settlement
s, and served as secretary general of both the Amana settlement movement and the Yesha Council
, as well as head of Beit El
local council. He was also a member of the Jewish National Fund
directorate.
For the 1999 Knesset elections he was placed seventh on the National Union
list. Although he missed out when the party won only four seats, Ariel entered the Knesset on 17 October 2001 as a replacement for the assassinated Rehavam Ze'evi.
He was placed sixth on the alliance's list for the 2003 elections, and retained his seat when the party won seven mandates. Prior to the scheduled Israeli withdrawal
from the Gaza Strip
and the northern West Bank
in August 2005, Ariel moved to Kfar Darom
in solidarity and firmly opposed the plan. Similarly, he also moved to Amona
prior to the dismantling of the outpost.
Originally placed 5th on the National Union Knesset list for the 2006 elections, Ariel conceded his spot to Aryeh Eldad and was listed 6th. After the alliance agreed to run a joint list with the National Religious Party
, Ariel was placed ninth, and retained his seat as the party won nine mandates.
During the Sukkot
festival in 2006 Ariel ascended to the Temple Mount
, saying he was preparing a plan to build a synagogue
on the mount. The proposed synagogue would not be built instead of the mosques but in a separate area in accordance with rulings of the prominent Rabbi
s. Ariel said he believed that this would be correcting a historical injustice and that it is an opportunity for the Muslim world to prove that it is tolerant to other faiths.
In March 2008 Ariel opposed the Knesset
House Committee's decision to let Angela Merkel
deliver her speech to the Knesset in German. In this context he also referred to the German people as "the mother of all Amalekites". According to the Torah, Jews have a mandate to "anhilate their name from under the heaven."
For the 2009 elections
Ariel was placed second on the National Union list, retaining his seat as the party won four mandates.
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 current serves 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 the National Union
National Union (Israel)
The National Union is an alliance of nationalist political parties in Israel. In the 2009 elections the National Union consisted of four parties: Moledet, Hatikva, Eretz Yisrael Shelanu, and Tkuma.-Background:...
.
Biography
Born in AfulaAfula
Afula is a city in the North District of Israel, often known as the "Capital of the Valley", referring to the Jezreel Valley. The city had a population of 40,500 at the end of 2009.-History:...
, Ariel served in a combat unit called Palsar 7 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...
and retired as a major. He became involved in Israeli settlement
Israeli settlement
An Israeli settlement is a Jewish civilian community built on land that was captured by Israel from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and is considered occupied territory by the international community. Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank...
s, and served as secretary general of both the Amana settlement movement and the Yesha Council
Yesha Council
The Yesha Council is an umbrella organization of municipal councils of Jewish settlements in the West Bank , known by the Hebrew acronym Yesha.The Chairman of the Yesha Council is Dani Dayan, elected in July 2007...
, as well as head of Beit El
Beit El
Beit El is an Israeli settlement and a local council in the Benjamin region of the central West Bank, within the borders of the Matte Binyamin Regional Council. The religiously observant town is located in the hills north of Jerusalem east of the Palestinian city of al-Bireh. In 2009, it had a...
local council. He was also a member of the Jewish National Fund
Jewish National Fund
The Jewish National Fund was founded in 1901 to buy and develop land in Ottoman Palestine for Jewish settlement. The JNF is a quasi-governmental, non-profit organisation...
directorate.
For the 1999 Knesset elections he was placed seventh on the National Union
National Union (Israel)
The National Union is an alliance of nationalist political parties in Israel. In the 2009 elections the National Union consisted of four parties: Moledet, Hatikva, Eretz Yisrael Shelanu, and Tkuma.-Background:...
list. Although he missed out when the party won only four seats, Ariel entered the Knesset on 17 October 2001 as a replacement for the assassinated Rehavam Ze'evi.
He was placed sixth on the alliance's list for the 2003 elections, and retained his seat when the party won seven mandates. Prior to the scheduled Israeli withdrawal
Israel's unilateral disengagement plan
Israel's unilateral disengagement plan , also known as the "Disengagement plan", "Gaza expulsion plan", and "Hitnatkut", was a proposal by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, adopted by the government on June 6, 2004 and enacted in August 2005, to evict all Israelis from the Gaza Strip and from...
from the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
and the northern West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
in August 2005, Ariel moved to Kfar Darom
Kfar Darom
Kfar Darom was a kibbutz and an Israeli settlement within the Gush Katif bloc in the Gaza Strip.-Original kibbutz:Kfar Darom was founded on 250 dunams of land purchased in 1930 by Tuvia Miller for a fruit orchard on the site of an ancient Jewish settlement of the same name mentioned in the Talmud...
in solidarity and firmly opposed the plan. Similarly, he also moved to Amona
Amona
Amona is an Israeli settlement in the central West Bank, on a hill overlooking Ofra. Located within the municipal boundaries of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, the village was founded in 1997 on a hilltop of privately owned Palestinian land and inhabited by young settlers from Ofra.By late...
prior to the dismantling of the outpost.
Originally placed 5th on the National Union Knesset list for the 2006 elections, Ariel conceded his spot to Aryeh Eldad and was listed 6th. After the alliance agreed to run a joint list with 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...
, Ariel was placed ninth, and retained his seat as the party won nine mandates.
During the Sukkot
Sukkot
Sukkot is a Biblical holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei . It is one of the three biblically mandated festivals Shalosh regalim on which Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.The holiday lasts seven days...
festival in 2006 Ariel ascended to the Temple Mount
Temple Mount
The Temple Mount, known in Hebrew as , and in Arabic as the Haram Ash-Sharif , is one of the most important religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. It has been used as a religious site for thousands of years...
, saying he was preparing a plan to build a synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
on the mount. The proposed synagogue would not be built instead of the mosques but in a separate area in accordance with rulings of the prominent Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
s. Ariel said he believed that this would be correcting a historical injustice and that it is an opportunity for the Muslim world to prove that it is tolerant to other faiths.
In March 2008 Ariel opposed 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...
House Committee's decision to let Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
deliver her speech to the Knesset in German. In this context he also referred to the German people as "the mother of all Amalekites". According to the Torah, Jews have a mandate to "anhilate their name from under the heaven."
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...
Ariel was placed second on the National Union list, retaining his seat as the party won four mandates.