Gershon Shafat
Encyclopedia
Gershon Shafat is an Israel
i former politician who served as a member of the Knesset
for Tehiya
during the mid-1980s and early 1990s.
, Austria
in 1927, Shafat made aliyah
to Mandate Palestine in 1934. He was educated at the Moria high school in Tel Aviv
, and spent two years studying history and sociology at university.
He became a member of the Bnei Akiva
youth movement, and later joined the National Religious Party
. In 1946 he was amongst the founders of kibbutz Ein Tzurim
. After the kibbutz was conquered by the Jordan
ian Army, he was a prisoner of war
for ten months. When released, he was a member of the group that re-established Ein Tzurim in a new location.
From 1956 until 1958 he worked as the manager of the Purchasing Organisation, and as the Co-ordinator of the Religious Kibbutz Movement
's political committee. Between 1961 and 1977 he managed a Tadmor factory
In 1974 he became a member of the Gush Emunim
settlement
movement's secretariat, and held the post of political secretary between 1976 and 1979. He joined the new Tehiya
party in 1979, and served as its secretary-general until 1985. Placed fifth on the party's list, he was elected to the Knesset in 1984
, as Tehiya won five seats. Although he lost his seat in the 1988 elections
, he returned to the Knesset on 31 January 1990 as a replacement for Yuval Ne'eman
, who had resigned his seat. Shafat lost his seat again in the 1992 elections
, in which Tehiya failed to cross the electoral threshold.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i former 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 Tehiya
Tehiya
Tehiya , originally known as Banai , then Tehiya-Bnai , was a small right-wing political party in Israel that existed from 1979 until 1992...
during the mid-1980s and early 1990s.
Biography
Born Gershon Staub in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in 1927, Shafat 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 in 1934. He was educated at the Moria high school in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, and spent two years studying history and sociology at university.
He became a member of the Bnei Akiva
Bnei Akiva
Bnei Akiva is the largest religious Zionist youth movement in the world, with over 125,000 members in 37 countries. It was established in Mandate Palestine in 1929.-History:...
youth movement, and later joined 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...
. In 1946 he was amongst the founders of kibbutz Ein Tzurim
Ein Tzurim
Ein Tzurim is a religious kibbutz in southern Israel. Located south of Kiryat Malakhi, it falls under the jurisdiction of Shafir Regional Council, and is a member of the Religious Kibbutz Movement. In 2007 it had a population of 1,100.-Original kibbutz:...
. After the kibbutz was conquered by the Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
ian Army, he was a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
for ten months. When released, he was a member of the group that re-established Ein Tzurim in a new location.
From 1956 until 1958 he worked as the manager of the Purchasing Organisation, and as the Co-ordinator of the Religious Kibbutz Movement
Religious Kibbutz Movement
The Religious Kibbutz Movement is an organizational framework for Orthodox kibbutzim in Israel. Its membership includes 19 communities, 16 of them traditional kibbutzim, and two others in the category of moshav shitufi , meaning that they have no communal dining hall or children's house but...
's political committee. Between 1961 and 1977 he managed a Tadmor factory
In 1974 he became a member of the Gush Emunim
Gush Emunim
Gush Emunim was an Israeli messianic and political movement committed to establishing Jewish settlements in the West Bank. While not formally established as an organization until 1974 in the wake of the Yom Kippur War, Gush Emunim sprang out of the conquests of the Six-Day War in 1967, encouraging...
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...
movement's secretariat, and held the post of political secretary between 1976 and 1979. He joined the new Tehiya
Tehiya
Tehiya , originally known as Banai , then Tehiya-Bnai , was a small right-wing political party in Israel that existed from 1979 until 1992...
party in 1979, and served as its secretary-general until 1985. Placed fifth on the party's list, he was elected to the Knesset in 1984
Israeli legislative election, 1984
Elections for the eleventh Knesset were held in Israel on 23 July 1984. Voter turnout was 78.8%. The results saw the Alignment return to being the largest party in the Knesset, a status it had lost in 1977...
, as Tehiya won five seats. Although he lost his seat in the 1988 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1988
Elections for the twelfth Knesset were held in Israel on 1 November 1988. Voter turnout was 79.7%.-Results:1 Five members of the Likud left to form the Party for the Advancement of the Zionist Idea; after two returned, the party was renamed the New Liberal Party...
, he returned to the Knesset on 31 January 1990 as a replacement for Yuval Ne'eman
Yuval Ne'eman
Yuval Ne'eman , was a renowned Israeli theoretical physicist, military scientist, and politician. He was a minister in the Israeli government in the 1980s and early 1990s.-Biography:...
, who had resigned his seat. Shafat lost his seat again in the 1992 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1992
Elections for the thirteenth Knesset were held in Israel on 23 June 1992. The result was a victory for the left, led by Yitzhak Rabin's Labor Party, though their win was at least partially due to several small right-wing parties narrowly failing to cross the electoral threshold and thus effectively...
, in which Tehiya failed to cross the electoral threshold.