Aharon Becker
Encyclopedia
Aharon Becker was an Israel
i politician who served as a member of the Knesset between 1955 and 1974.
in the Russian Empire
(today in Belarus
), Becker was educated at a heder and gymnasium
. He joined Tze'irei Zion, and was a member until it was shut down by Bolshevik authorities in 1920. After Kobryn became part of Poland, he studied bookkeeping at a local trade school.
In 1925 he made aliyah
to Mandate Palestine, and initially worked as an agricultural labourer in Petah Tikva
, before moving into construction. In 1926 he was amongst the founders of the Hebrew Socialist Youth, and also became a member of Ahdut HaAvoda
. Between 1928 and 1932 he was secretary of the Ramat Gan Workers Committee, before serving as a member of the Tel Aviv Workers Council from 1932 until 1943. He became a member of the Histadrut
's central committee, and headed its labour union department from 1949 until 1960. From 1961 until 1969 he served as the Histadrut's secretary.
In 1948 he travelled to the United States
to purchase arms for the IDF
. Between 1948 and 1949 he was director of the Ministry of Defense
, before becoming Managing Director of the Supply Authority, which supplied civilian equipment to soldiers.
In 1955
he was elected to the Knesset on the Mapai
list, but resigned his seat on 1 October the following year. He returned to the Knesset following the 1959 elections
, but resigned again on 23 May 1960. He returned to the Knesset for a third time after the 1961 elections
. He was re-elected in 1965
and 1969
, but lost his seat in the 1973 elections
. After leaving the Knesset he became chairman of the Kupat Holim health fund's central committee.
He died in 1995 at the age of 90.
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 between 1955 and 1974.
Biography
Born in KobrynKobryn
Kobryn or Kobrin is a city in the Brest voblast of Belarus and the center of the Kobryn Raion. The city is located in the southwestern corner of Belarus where the Mukhavets River and Dnepr-Bug Canal meet. The city lies about 52 km east of the city of Brest. Kobryn is located at Latitude...
in the Russian Empire
Russian 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 in Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
), Becker was educated at a heder and gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
. He joined Tze'irei Zion, and was a member until it was shut down by Bolshevik authorities in 1920. After Kobryn became part of Poland, he studied bookkeeping at a local trade school.
In 1925 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 initially worked as an agricultural labourer 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...
, before moving into construction. In 1926 he was amongst the founders of the Hebrew Socialist Youth, and also became a member of 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....
. Between 1928 and 1932 he was secretary of the Ramat Gan Workers Committee, before serving as a member of the Tel Aviv Workers Council from 1932 until 1943. He became a member of the Histadrut
Histadrut
HaHistadrut HaKlalit shel HaOvdim B'Eretz Yisrael , known as the Histadrut, is Israel's organization of trade unions. Established in December 1920 during the British Mandate for Palestine, it became one of the most powerful institutions of the State of Israel.-History:The Histadrut was founded in...
's central committee, and headed its labour union department from 1949 until 1960. From 1961 until 1969 he served as the Histadrut's secretary.
In 1948 he travelled to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to purchase arms for the 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...
. Between 1948 and 1949 he was director of the Ministry of Defense
Ministry of Defense (Israel)
The Ministry of Defence of the government of Israel, is the governmental department responsible for defending the State of Israel from internal and external military threats...
, before becoming Managing Director of the Supply Authority, which supplied civilian equipment to soldiers.
In 1955
Israeli legislative election, 1955
Elections for the third Knesset were held in Israel on 26 July 1955. Voter turnout was 82.8%.-Results:Mapai retained its plurality in the Knesset, although its share of the vote dropped by 5.1 and its share of seats dropped from 47 to 40...
he was elected to the Knesset on the Mapai
Mapai
Mapai was a left-wing political party in Israel, and was the dominant force in Israeli politics until its merger into the Israeli Labor Party in 1968...
list, but resigned his seat on 1 October the following year. He returned to the Knesset following the 1959 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 resigned again on 23 May 1960. He returned to the Knesset for a third time after 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 was re-elected in 1965
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...
and 1969
Israeli legislative election, 1969
Elections for the seventh Knesset were held in Israel on 28 October 1969. Voter turnout was 81.7%.-Results:¹ Meir Avizohar defected from the National List to the Alignment² Avner Shaki left the National Religious Party and remained a single MK...
, but lost his seat in the 1973 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1973
The Elections for the eighth Knesset were held on 31 December 1973. Voter turnout was 78.6%.-Results:1 Aryeh Eliav left the Alignment and merged with Ratz to form Ya'ad - Civil Rights Movement...
. After leaving the Knesset he became chairman of the Kupat Holim health fund's central committee.
He died in 1995 at the age of 90.