Eli Suissa
Encyclopedia
Rabbi Eliyahu "Eli" Suissa is a former Israel
i politician who held several ministerial portfolios during the 1990s and early 2000s.
to Israel
later in the same year. He studied at a yeshiva
and was ordained as a rabbi
.
Despite not being a member of the Knesset
, he was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs
in Binyamin Netanyahu's government in June 1996. On 7 August he became Minister of Religious Affairs in addition to his existing role, but served for only five days, before Netanyahu took the post himself, before giving it to Zevulon Hammer. Following Hammer's death in January 1998, Netanyahu briefly held the portfolio again, before handing it to Yitzhak Levy
. In September 1998 Suissa took over as Religious Affairs Minister again; in all the portfolio changed hands six times during the 3-year government.
In the 1999 elections he was voted into the Knesset on Shas
' list, and was appointed Minister of National Infrastructure
. He left the cabinet
when Shas withdrew from the government in July 2000, but returned when Ariel Sharon
formed a new government in March 2001, this time as Minister of Jerusalem Affairs
. He served until the 2003 elections, aside from a brief period between 23 May and 3 June 2002 when Shas pulled out of the coalition.
He lost his seat and place in the cabinet following the 2003 elections.
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 held several ministerial portfolios during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Biography
Born in Morocco in 1956, Suissa's family made aliyahAliyah
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
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
later in the same year. He studied at a yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
and was ordained as a 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...
.
Despite not being 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...
, he was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs
Internal Affairs Minister of Israel
The Interior Minister , also known as the Minister of Internal Affairs is head of the Israeli Ministry of Interior and an important portfolio in the cabinet. The current Interior Minister is Eli Yishai of Shas...
in Binyamin Netanyahu's government in June 1996. On 7 August he became Minister of Religious Affairs in addition to his existing role, but served for only five days, before Netanyahu took the post himself, before giving it to Zevulon Hammer. Following Hammer's death in January 1998, Netanyahu briefly held the portfolio again, before handing it to Yitzhak Levy
Yitzhak Levy
Rabbi Yitzhak Levy is an Israeli rabbi and politician who served as a member of the Knesset for the National Religious Party and the Ahi faction of the National Union between 1988 and 2009...
. In September 1998 Suissa took over as Religious Affairs Minister again; in all the portfolio changed hands six times during the 3-year government.
In the 1999 elections he was voted into the Knesset on Shas
Shas
Shas is an ultra-orthodox religious political party in Israel, primarily representing Sephardic and Mizrahi Haredi Judaism.Shas was founded in 1984 by dissident members of the Ashkenazi dominated Agudat Israel, to represent the interests of religiously observant Sephardic and Mizrahi ...
' list, and was appointed Minister of National Infrastructure
National Infrastructure Minister of Israel
The National Infrastructure Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of National Infrastructure. From its establishment in 1977 until 1996, the post was known as the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure . The current minister is Uzi Landau of Yisrael Beiteinu.It succeeded...
. He left the cabinet
Cabinet of Israel
The Cabinet of Israel is a formal body composed of government officials called ministers, chosen and led by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister must appoint members based on the distribution of votes to political parties during legislative elections, and its composition must be approved by a...
when Shas withdrew from the government in July 2000, but returned when Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
formed a new government in March 2001, this time as Minister of Jerusalem Affairs
Jerusalem Affairs Minister of Israel
The Jerusalem Affairs Minister of Israel is an occasional portfolio in the Israeli cabinet. It was first established under the government of Yitzhak Shamir on 27 November 1990, with Avraham Verdiger serving as deputy minister, although Avner Shaki had served as a Minister without Portfolio...
. He served until the 2003 elections, aside from a brief period between 23 May and 3 June 2002 when Shas pulled out of the coalition.
He lost his seat and place in the cabinet following the 2003 elections.