Ya'akov Margi
Encyclopedia
Ya'akov Margi is an Israel
i politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset
for Shas
and as the country's Minister of Religious Services.
and brought to Israel
during Yakhin Operation in 1962.
Between 1993 and 2003 he served as chairman of the local religious council in Beersheba
. Since 2001 he has been the director general of Shas
. He was first elected to the Knesset in 2003. After retaining his seat in the 2006 elections, Margi served as group chairperson of the party's faction at the Knesset. He also served briefly as chairman of the House Committee.
He retained his seat again in the 2009 elections
, having been placed sixth on the Shas list, and was appointed Minister of Religious Services in the Netanyahu government.
Margi lives in Sde Tzvi
. He is married and a father of two.
During Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Israel, he wrote a letter to the pontiff demanding that he clearly condemn the purveyors of Holocaust denial and antisemitism.
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 currently serves 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 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 ...
and as the country's Minister of Religious Services.
Biography
Margi was born in MoroccoMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and brought to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
during Yakhin Operation in 1962.
Between 1993 and 2003 he served as chairman of the local religious council in Beersheba
Beersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
. Since 2001 he has been the director general of 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 ...
. He was first elected to the Knesset in 2003. After retaining his seat in the 2006 elections, Margi served as group chairperson of the party's faction at the Knesset. He also served briefly as chairman of the House Committee.
He retained his seat again in 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...
, having been placed sixth on the Shas list, and was appointed Minister of Religious Services in the Netanyahu government.
Margi lives in Sde Tzvi
Sde Tzvi
Sde Tzvi is a moshav in southern Israel. Located in the north-western Negev near Rahat, it falls under the jurisdiction of Merhavim Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 362.The village was established in 1953 by immigrants from North Africa...
. He is married and a father of two.
During Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Israel, he wrote a letter to the pontiff demanding that he clearly condemn the purveyors of Holocaust denial and antisemitism.