Zehava Gal-On
Encyclopedia
Zahava Gal-On is an Israel
i politician. She is a member of the Knesset
for Meretz, as a mid-term replacement after the retirement of the head of the party Haim Oron
and is well-known for her outspokenness, opposition to Meretz's election strategy, and very liberal
and pluralist
views.
in the Soviet Union
(today Lithuania
) and immigrated
to Israel in 1960. She is married with two children and lives in Petah Tikva
. She is an MA student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
.
She served as general secretary of the paper Politika, of the Human Rights organization B'Tselem
, and of the Ratz party. She is a member of the general directorate of Meretz. Among her main activities: the struggle for human and civil rights, women's rights and the fight for social justice. In regards to IDF
refuseniks
, she has said that "Meretz should not go with the wind of refusal, but should not try to oppose it. We are a party that believes in ideological pluralism and should not bury our heads in the sand. Meretz must show empathy towards the refuseniks and must bring the matter up for public discussion and reveal the reasons why the officers are refusing to serve."
She was elected to the Knesset
in 1999, and served as chairwoman of the Knesset committee for the struggle against trafficking in women
. She was also a member of the Knesset law and constitution committee and the Knesset committee.
In 2007, Gal-On launched an unsuccessful bid to become the leader of Meretz. She believed that Meretz must reinvent itself and promote a civilian agenda, which encompasses human rights
and civil liberties
in order to remain politically viable. Gal-On said that Meretz could not afford to complacently observe the proliferation of its long-time positions among other parties, and it must work to cement the principles of democracy and equality in Israeli society. She lost to Haim Oron
, as the polls predicted.
Gal-On volunteered her third spot on the New Movement-Meretz list for the 2009 elections
as a gesture of respect for Nitzan Horowitz
, but lost her seat when the party was reduced to three seats. She attributed the party's failure to its uncertain response to Israel's Operation Cast Lead, and said: "My opinion was different than that of most party members. Because Meretz is an ideological party, it must have a clear statement even in such a situation".
In March 2011 she returned to the Knesset after Haim Oron retired.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i politician. She is 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 Meretz, as a mid-term replacement after the retirement of the head of the party Haim Oron
Haim Oron
Haim "Jumas" Oron is an Israeli politician and former Minister of Agriculture. He is currently head of the political party New Movement-Meretz, for whom he served as a member of the Knesset.-Biography:...
and is well-known for her outspokenness, opposition to Meretz's election strategy, and very liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
and pluralist
Pluralism (political theory)
Classical pluralism is the view that politics and decision making are located mostly in the framework of government, but that many non-governmental groups use their resources to exert influence. The central question for classical pluralism is how power and influence is distributed in a political...
views.
Biography
Gal-On was born in 1956 in VilniusVilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(today Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
) and immigrated
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 1960. She is married with two children and lives in Petah Tikva
Petah Tikva
Petah Tikva known as Em HaMoshavot , is a city in the Center District of Israel, east of Tel Aviv.According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, at the end of 2009, the city's population stood at 209,600. The population density is approximately...
. She is an MA student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
.
She served as general secretary of the paper Politika, of the Human Rights organization B'Tselem
B'Tselem
B'Tselem is an Israeli non-governmental organization . It calls itself "The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories"...
, and of the Ratz party. She is a member of the general directorate of Meretz. Among her main activities: the struggle for human and civil rights, women's rights and the fight for social justice. In regards to IDF
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...
refuseniks
Refusal to serve in the Israeli military
Refusal to serve in the Israeli military includes both refusal to obey specific orders and refusal to serve in the Israel Defense Forces in any capacity due to pacifist or anti-militarist views or disagreement with the policies of the Israeli government as implemented by the army, such as the...
, she has said that "Meretz should not go with the wind of refusal, but should not try to oppose it. We are a party that believes in ideological pluralism and should not bury our heads in the sand. Meretz must show empathy towards the refuseniks and must bring the matter up for public discussion and reveal the reasons why the officers are refusing to serve."
She 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...
in 1999, and served as chairwoman of the Knesset committee for the struggle against trafficking in women
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
. She was also a member of the Knesset law and constitution committee and the Knesset committee.
In 2007, Gal-On launched an unsuccessful bid to become the leader of Meretz. She believed that Meretz must reinvent itself and promote a civilian agenda, which encompasses human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and civil liberties
Civil liberties
Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
in order to remain politically viable. Gal-On said that Meretz could not afford to complacently observe the proliferation of its long-time positions among other parties, and it must work to cement the principles of democracy and equality in Israeli society. She lost to Haim Oron
Haim Oron
Haim "Jumas" Oron is an Israeli politician and former Minister of Agriculture. He is currently head of the political party New Movement-Meretz, for whom he served as a member of the Knesset.-Biography:...
, as the polls predicted.
Gal-On volunteered her third spot on the New Movement-Meretz 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...
as a gesture of respect for Nitzan Horowitz
Nitzan Horowitz
Nitzan Horowitz is an Israeli journalist and politician. He was the Foreign Affairs commentator and head of the International desk at News 10, the news division of Channel 10, before being elected to the Knesset on the New Movement-Meretz list in 2009....
, but lost her seat when the party was reduced to three seats. She attributed the party's failure to its uncertain response to Israel's Operation Cast Lead, and said: "My opinion was different than that of most party members. Because Meretz is an ideological party, it must have a clear statement even in such a situation".
In March 2011 she returned to the Knesset after Haim Oron retired.