Yosef Kushnir
Encyclopedia
Yosef Kushnir was an Israel
i politician who served as a member of the Knesset
for Mapam
from 1960 until 1961, and again from 1962 until 1965.
, Kushnir made aliyah
to Palestine in 1922. He studied at the Jerusalem Law School, and was certified as a lawyer.
He became one of the leaders of Poale Zion Left, and was also involved in other Marxist
groups in Mandate Palestine. In 1945 he joined the Hashomer Hatzair Workers Party
, which merged with Ahdut HaAvoda
to form Mapam in 1948. Kushnir became a member of its central committee, and was a member of the secretariat of its Haifa branch. Between 1950 and 1955 he was a member of Haifa
city council, and also served as chairman of the city's branch of the Lawyers Union.
He was on the Mapam list for the 1959 Knesset elections
, but failed to win a seat. However, he entered the Knesset on 10 July 1960 as a replacement for Haim Yehuda
. Although he lost his seat in the 1961 elections
, he returned to the Knesset on 24 October 1962 as a replacement for the deceased Hanan Rubin
. He lost his seat again in the 1965 elections
.
Kushnir died in 1983 at the age of 82.
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 Mapam
Mapam
Mapam was a political party in Israel and is one of the ancestors of the modern-day Meretz party.-History:Mapam was formed by a January 1948 merger of the Hashomer Hatzair Workers Party and Ahdut HaAvoda Poale Zion Movement. The party was originally Marxist-Zionist in its outlook and represented...
from 1960 until 1961, and again from 1962 until 1965.
Biography
Born 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...
, Kushnir 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 Palestine in 1922. He studied at the Jerusalem Law School, and was certified as a lawyer.
He became one of the leaders of Poale Zion Left, and was also involved in other Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
groups in Mandate Palestine. In 1945 he joined the Hashomer Hatzair Workers Party
Hashomer Hatzair Workers Party of Palestine
The Hashomer Hatzair Workers Party of Palestine was a Marxist-Zionist political party in Mandate Palestine, connected to the Hashomer Hatzair movement. At the time of its foundation, in 1946, the party had around 10,000 members, two-thirds of whom hailed from the Kibbutz Artzi movement...
, which merged with Ahdut HaAvoda
Ahdut HaAvoda
Ahdut HaAvoda was the name used by a sequence of political parties that existed firstly during Mandate Palestine and later in Israel. Its original version, led by David Ben-Gurion, is one of the main ancestors of the modern-day Israeli Labor Party....
to form Mapam in 1948. Kushnir became a member of its central committee, and was a member of the secretariat of its Haifa branch. Between 1950 and 1955 he was a member of Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
city council, and also served as chairman of the city's branch of the Lawyers Union.
He was on the Mapam list for the 1959 Knesset elections
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....
, but failed to win a seat. However, he entered the Knesset on 10 July 1960 as a replacement for Haim Yehuda
Haim Yehuda
Haim Yehuda was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Mapam between 1955 and 1960.-Biography:Born in Cairo in Egypt, Yehuda was a member of the Egyptian Communist Party. He joined the British Army during World War II, and made aliyah to Israel in 1948, where he joined Mapam...
. Although he lost his seat in the 1961 elections
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...
, he returned to the Knesset on 24 October 1962 as a replacement for the deceased Hanan Rubin
Hanan Rubin
Dr Hanan Rubin was a German-born Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset between 1949 and 1962.- Biography :Born in Berlin, Rubin was a member of the Blue-White movement dueing his youth. fter school he studied law at the Humboldt University of Berlin and University of Freiburg,...
. He lost his seat again 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...
.
Kushnir died in 1983 at the age of 82.