Ofer Hugi
Encyclopedia
Ofer Hugi is a former Israel
i politician who served as a Knesset
member for Shas
from 1999 to 2003 and again for just under a month in 2006. In 2007 he was sent to prison for various charges related to forgery and fraud.
, where he attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. After completing his service he studied for a B.A. in Rabbinical Ordination, and went on to work as an administrator.
, a Mizrahi
/Sephardi
Ultra-orthodox
party. He was elected to the Knesset in the 1999 elections when the party won an unprecedented 17 seats, making it the third largest party after One Israel
(the Labour Party
) and Likud
. However, Hugi lost his seat in the 2003 elections when the party was reduced to 11 seats (he was 12th on the list), possibly as a result of the party's growing reputation for corruption, several of its members having been convicted of various fraudulent offences.
He did briefly enter the Knesset at the end of April 2006 after Shas MK Yair Peretz
had resigned from the Knesset after being convicted of fraud (he had fraudulently obtained an academic degree), but the Knesset was dissolved on 17 April and Hugi did not win a seat in the 2006 elections.
for, though it later became apparent that the lists of students and teachers he had provided were fictitious.
In February 2007, Hugi was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay a 12,000 shekel fine.
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 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...
member for 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 ...
from 1999 to 2003 and again for just under a month in 2006. In 2007 he was sent to prison for various charges related to forgery and fraud.
Background
After finishing school, Hugi was conscripted into the IDFIsrael 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...
, where he attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. After completing his service he studied for a B.A. in Rabbinical Ordination, and went on to work as an administrator.
Political career
Hugi joined ShasShas
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 ...
, a Mizrahi
Mizrahi Jews
Mizrahi Jews or Mizrahiyim, , also referred to as Adot HaMizrach are Jews descended from the Jewish communities of the Middle East, North Africa and the Caucasus...
/Sephardi
Sephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews is a general term referring to the descendants of the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before their expulsion in the Spanish Inquisition. It can also refer to those who use a Sephardic style of liturgy or would otherwise define themselves in terms of the Jewish customs and...
Ultra-orthodox
Haredi Judaism
Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
party. He was elected to the Knesset in the 1999 elections when the party won an unprecedented 17 seats, making it the third largest party after One Israel
One Israel
One Israel was an alliance of the Labor Party, Meimad and Gesher created to run for the 1999 Knesset elections.-Background:One Israel was formed by Labor leader Ehud Barak in the run-up to the 1999 elections with the aim of making Labor appear more centrist and to reduce its secularist and elitist...
(the Labour Party
Labor (Israel)
The Israeli Labor Party , commonly known as HaAvoda , is a social-democratic and labour Zionist political party in Israel. The party is an observer member of both Socialist International and the Party of European Socialists. The Israeli Labor Party was established in 1968 by a merger of Mapai,...
) and Likud
Likud
Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...
. However, Hugi lost his seat in the 2003 elections when the party was reduced to 11 seats (he was 12th on the list), possibly as a result of the party's growing reputation for corruption, several of its members having been convicted of various fraudulent offences.
He did briefly enter the Knesset at the end of April 2006 after Shas MK Yair Peretz
Yair Peretz
Yair Peretz is a former Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Shas from 1999 until being convicted of fraudulently obtaining an academic degree in March 2006.-Biography:Born in Morocco, Peretz made aliyah to Israel in 1961...
had resigned from the Knesset after being convicted of fraud (he had fraudulently obtained an academic degree), but the Knesset was dissolved on 17 April and Hugi did not win a seat in the 2006 elections.
Conviction
After replacing an MK who had been convicted of fraud, in December 2006 Hugi was found guilty of aggravated forgery, using forged documents (by recording a fictitious salary for his wife he avoided income tax), receiving items through fraudulent means, false registration of a corporation and attempting to receive items through fraudulent means (including Education Ministry funding for student transportation). This was in relation to a technical college which he founded in the late 1990s, and had received hundreds of thousand of shekelsIsraeli new sheqel
The Israeli New Shekel is the currency of the State of Israel. The shekel is divided into 100 agorot...
for, though it later became apparent that the lists of students and teachers he had provided were fictitious.
In February 2007, Hugi was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay a 12,000 shekel fine.