Yosef Serlin
Encyclopedia
Yosef Serlin was a Zionist
activist, lawyer and Israel
i politician.
(now in Poland
), where he attended a Hebrew High School. He studied law at the University of Warsaw
and was certified as a lawyer in 1929. He was active in the Zionist Movement in Poland and was chairman of the Federation of Academic Zionists in Warsaw
. He was made personal secretary to Nahum Sokolow
in 1930. He was also a member of the Central Committee of Radical Zionists in Poland.
In 1933 he immigrated to the British Mandate of Palestine and worked as a lawyer in Tel Aviv
. He was one of the founders of the General Zionists
and later deputy chairman of the World Confederation of General Zionists Association. He was also a member of the Zionist Actions Committee.
After the establishment of the State of Israel In 1948 he was a member of the Provisional State Council
. He was then elected to the first through fourth Knesset
s for the General Zionists. In 1954 he joined Yosef Sapir
and Simha Erlich
to tighten their grip on the party. However, 1957 saw a schism between him and Sapir and a decline of his power within the party. In 1961 he became one of leaders of the Liberal Party
, for which he was elected to the fifth Knesset. The Liberal Party then merged into Gahal
, for which he was elected to the sixth and seventh Knessets. He was a member of the House, Labor, Constitution, Law and Justice, Economic Affairs, and Finance Committees. He was also deputy Speaker of the Knesset.
From 1952 to 1953 he served as Minister of Transportation
and then Minister of Health until 1955. He sought to strengthen the national control over the health system at the expense of the Israel's sick funds. He was a hawkish minister, and Moshe Sharett
wrote in his diary that Serlin had asked him in 1954 to attack the Gaza Strip
in reprisal to the Palestinian Fedayeen
insurgencies. In 1958 he proposed a mixed election system
, according to which most MKs were to be elected from thirty voting zones.
He died in 1974.
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
activist, lawyer and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i politician.
Biography
Serlin was born in Białystok in the Russian EmpireRussian 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...
(now in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
), where he attended a Hebrew High School. He studied law at the University of Warsaw
University of Warsaw
The University of Warsaw is the largest university in Poland and one of the most prestigious, ranked as best Polish university in 2010 and 2011...
and was certified as a lawyer in 1929. He was active in the Zionist Movement in Poland and was chairman of the Federation of Academic Zionists in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. He was made personal secretary to Nahum Sokolow
Nahum Sokolow
Nahum Sokolow was a Zionist leader, author, translator, and a pioneer of Hebrew journalism....
in 1930. He was also a member of the Central Committee of Radical Zionists in Poland.
In 1933 he immigrated to the British Mandate of Palestine and worked as a lawyer 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...
. He was one of the founders of the General Zionists
General Zionists
The General Zionists were centrists within the Zionist movement and a political party in Israel. Their political arm is an ancestor of the modern-day Likud.-History:...
and later deputy chairman of the World Confederation of General Zionists Association. He was also a member of the Zionist Actions Committee.
After the establishment of the State of Israel In 1948 he was a member of the Provisional State Council
Provisional State Council
The Provisional State Council was the temporary legislature of Israel from shortly before independence until the election of the first Knesset in January 1949...
. He was then elected to the first through fourth 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...
s for the General Zionists. In 1954 he joined Yosef Sapir
Yosef Sapir
Yosef Sapir was an Israeli politician and Knesset member of the 1st to 7th Knessets. He served as head of the General Zionists and was a founding member of the Gahal party....
and Simha Erlich
Simha Erlich
Simha Erlich was an Israeli politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party and Minister of Finance under Menachem Begin, and is known for his attempt to liberalize the Israeli economy.-Biography:...
to tighten their grip on the party. However, 1957 saw a schism between him and Sapir and a decline of his power within the party. In 1961 he became one of leaders of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (Israel)
The Israeli Liberal Party was a political party in Israel and is one of the ancestors of the modern-day Likud.-History:The Liberal Party was formed on 8 May 1961, towards the end of the fourth Knesset, by a merger of the General Zionists and the Progressive Party, with the new party having 14...
, for which he was elected to the fifth Knesset. The Liberal Party then merged into Gahal
Gahal
Gahal , lit. Herut-Liberals Bloc) was the major right-wing political faction in Israel led by Menachem Begin from its founding in 1965 until it merged into Likud in 1973.-Background:...
, for which he was elected to the sixth and seventh Knessets. He was a member of the House, Labor, Constitution, Law and Justice, Economic Affairs, and Finance Committees. He was also deputy Speaker of the Knesset.
From 1952 to 1953 he served as Minister of Transportation
Health Minister of Israel
The Ministry of Health is a ministry in the Israeli government. The current Minister of Health is Binyamin Netanyahu of Likud.There is occasionally a Deputy Minister of Health...
and then Minister of Health until 1955. He sought to strengthen the national control over the health system at the expense of the Israel's sick funds. He was a hawkish minister, and Moshe Sharett
Moshe Sharett
Moshe Sharett on 15 October 1894, died 7 July 1965) was the second Prime Minister of Israel , serving for a little under two years between David Ben-Gurion's two terms.-Early life:...
wrote in his diary that Serlin had asked him in 1954 to attack the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
in reprisal to the Palestinian Fedayeen
Palestinian fedayeen
Palestinian fedayeen refers to militants or guerrillas of a nationalist orientation from among the Palestinian people...
insurgencies. In 1958 he proposed a mixed election system
Mixed member proportional representation
Mixed-member proportional representation, also termed mixed-member proportional voting and commonly abbreviated to MMP, is a voting system originally used to elect representatives to the German Bundestag, and nowadays adopted by numerous legislatures around the world...
, according to which most MKs were to be elected from thirty voting zones.
He died in 1974.