Eliyahu Meridor
Encyclopedia
Eliyahu Meridor was an Israel
i politician who served as a member of the Knesset
for Herut
and Gahal
from 1959 until his death in 1966.
in the Russian Empire
, Meridor was educated at a Tarbut
school in Grajewo
in Poland
, before studying law at the University of Warsaw
. He also became a member of the local branch of Betar
.
In 1936 Meridor made aliyah
to Mandate Palestine, where he worked as a lawyer. He joined the Irgun
, and was a commander in Jerusalem, as well as being a member of the organisation's command. He was arrested by the British authorities and exiled to Africa.
In 1948 he was amongst the founders of the Herut movement, and chaired its Jerusalem branch. In 1959
he was elected to the Knesset on the party's list. He was re-elected in 1961
and 1965
, but died in 1966 at the age of 52. His seat was taken by Shlomo Cohen-Tzidon
.
Meridor's children are Dan
, currently serves as a member of the Knesset
for Likud
and as the country's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy, Haggit (Hurvitz), Head of Pediatrics at the Bikur Holim Hospital, Avital (Darmon), Director of the Applied Research Initiative in Education, and Sallai
, former Chairman of the Jewish Agency and the Israeli ambassador to the United States
. Meridor's grandchildren include: Eli Hurvitz, Executive Director of the Trump Foundation, and Shaul Meridor, Deputy Director of Allocation at the Ministry of Finance.
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 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 Herut
Herut
Herut was the major right-wing political party in Israel from the 1940s until its formal merger into Likud in 1988, and an adherent of Revisionist Zionism.-History:...
and 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:...
from 1959 until his death in 1966.
Biography
Born in Saint PetersburgSaint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
in the Russian Empire
Russian 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...
, Meridor was educated at a Tarbut
Tarbut
The Tarbut movement was a network of secular, Hebrew-language schools in parts of the former Jewish Pale of Settlement, specifically in Poland, Romania and Lithuania...
school in Grajewo
Grajewo
Grajewo , is a town in north-eastern Poland with 23,302 inhabitants .It is situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship ; previously, it was in Łomża Voivodeship...
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...
, before studying 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...
. He also became a member of the local branch of Betar
Betar
The Betar Movement is a Revisionist Zionist youth movement founded in 1923 in Riga, Latvia, by Vladimir Jabotinsky. It has been traditionally linked to the original Herut and then Likud political parties of Israel, and was closely affiliated with the pre-Israel Revisionist Zionist splinter group...
.
In 1936 Meridor 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, where he worked as a lawyer. He joined the Irgun
Irgun
The Irgun , or Irgun Zevai Leumi to give it its full title , was a Zionist paramilitary group that operated in Mandate Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of the earlier and larger Jewish paramilitary organization haHaganah...
, and was a commander in Jerusalem, as well as being a member of the organisation's command. He was arrested by the British authorities and exiled to Africa.
In 1948 he was amongst the founders of the Herut movement, and chaired its Jerusalem branch. In 1959
Israeli legislative election, 1959
Elections for the fourth Knesset were held in Israel on 3 November 1959. Voter turnout was 81.5%.-Results:¹ The General Zionists and the Progressive Party merged to form the Liberal Party....
he was elected to the Knesset on the party's list. He was re-elected in 1961
Israeli legislative election, 1961
Elections for the fifth Knesset were held in Israel on 15 August 1961. Voter turnout was 81.6%.-Results:¹ Eight MKs broke away from Mapai to establish Rafi² Herut and the Liberal Party merged to form Gahal...
and 1965
Israeli legislative election, 1965
Elections for the sixth Knesset were held in Israel on 1 November 1965. Voter turnout was 85.9%.-Background:Prior to the elections, two major alliances were formed; Mapai and Ahdut HaAvoda united to form the Alignment, whilst Herut and the Liberal Party had formed the Gahal alliance towards the end...
, but died in 1966 at the age of 52. His seat was taken by Shlomo Cohen-Tzidon
Shlomo Cohen-Tzidon
Shlomo Cohen-Tzidon is a former Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Gahal and the Free Centre between 1966 and 1969.-Biography:...
.
Meridor's children are Dan
Dan Meridor
Dan Meridor is an Israeli politician and minister. A longtime member of the Likud party, in the late 1990s he became one of the founders of the Centre Party. He rejoined Likud in the early 2000s, and returned to the Knesset following the 2009 elections...
, 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 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...
and as the country's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy, Haggit (Hurvitz), Head of Pediatrics at the Bikur Holim Hospital, Avital (Darmon), Director of the Applied Research Initiative in Education, and Sallai
Sallai Meridor
Sallai Meridor is an Israeli politician. He was the Israeli Ambassador to the United States between 2005–2009, appointed by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert...
, former Chairman of the Jewish Agency and the Israeli ambassador to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Meridor's grandchildren include: Eli Hurvitz, Executive Director of the Trump Foundation, and Shaul Meridor, Deputy Director of Allocation at the Ministry of Finance.