Mordechai Ben-Porat
Encyclopedia
Mordechai Ben-Porat is a former Israel
i politician who served as Minister without Portfolio
from July 1982 until January 1984. During his four terms in the Knesset, he represented five different parties.
in Iraq, Ben-Porat made aliyah
in 1945. He joined the Haganah
in 1947 and fought in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
. He helped organise the mass immigration of Iraqi Jews between 1949 and 1951, during which he was arrested four times by the Iraqi authorities. He later studied political science at the Tel Aviv
adjunct of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
, and administration at Tel Aviv University
.
A member of Mapai
, in 1955 he became head of Or Yehuda
's local council, a post he held until 1969. When David Ben-Gurion
left Mapai to found Rafi, Porat followed him. In 1965 he was elected to the Knesset
on Rafi's list. During the Knesset term the party merged into the Labor Party, which then became part of the Alignment
. He was re-elected on the Alignment list in 1969. and between 1970 and 1972 served as the Labor Party's deputy secretary.
He was re-elected again in 1973, but on 15 March 1977 left the party to sit as an independent MK. He subsequently lost his seat in the May 1977 elections
. In 1979 he was involved with the Jewish Agency's
efforts to help Jews leave Iran
.
In 1981 he joined the new Telem
party, and was elected to the Knesset on its list in the elections that year
. In July 1982 he was appointed Minister without Portfolio
. On 6 June 1983 Telem split and Ben-Porat established the Movement for the Renewal of Social Zionism
. He remained in the cabinet until 31 January 1984, and lost his seat in the elections that year
. In 1988 he joined Likud
.
for his lifetime achievements and special contribution to society and the State of Israel, in particular for his role in rescuing the Jews of Iraq.
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 Minister without Portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
from July 1982 until January 1984. During his four terms in the Knesset, he represented five different parties.
Biography
Born in BaghdadBaghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
in Iraq, Ben-Porat 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...
in 1945. He joined the Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
in 1947 and fought in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
. He helped organise the mass immigration of Iraqi Jews between 1949 and 1951, during which he was arrested four times by the Iraqi authorities. He later studied political science at the 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...
adjunct of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
, and administration at Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
.
A member of Mapai
Mapai
Mapai was a left-wing political party in Israel, and was the dominant force in Israeli politics until its merger into the Israeli Labor Party in 1968...
, in 1955 he became head of Or Yehuda
Or Yehuda
Or Yehuda is a city in the Tel Aviv District in Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , the city had a population of 32,200 at the end of 2007.-History:Or Yehuda is located where the biblical city of Kefar Ono used to stand....
's local council, a post he held until 1969. When David Ben-Gurion
David Ben-Gurion
' was the first Prime Minister of Israel.Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946...
left Mapai to found Rafi, Porat followed him. In 1965 he was elected to 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...
on Rafi's list. During the Knesset term the party merged into the Labor Party, which then became part of the Alignment
Alignment (political party)
The Alignment was an alliance of the major left-wing parties in Israel between the 1960s and 1990s. It was established in 1965 as an alliance of Mapai and Ahdut HaAvoda but was dissolved three years later when the two parties and Rafi formally merged into the Israeli Labor Party...
. He was re-elected on the Alignment list in 1969. and between 1970 and 1972 served as the Labor Party's deputy secretary.
He was re-elected again in 1973, but on 15 March 1977 left the party to sit as an independent MK. He subsequently lost his seat in the May 1977 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1977
The Elections for the ninth Knesset were held on 17 May 1977. For the first time in Israeli political history, the right-wing, led by Likud, won the election, ending almost 30 years of rule by the left-wing Alignment and its predecessor, Mapai...
. In 1979 he was involved with the Jewish Agency's
Jewish Agency for Israel
The Jewish Agency for Israel , also known as the Sochnut or JAFI, served as the organization in charge of immigration and absorption of Jews from the Diaspora into the state of Israel.-History:...
efforts to help Jews leave Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
In 1981 he joined the new Telem
Telem (political party)
Telem , lit. Movement for National Renewal) was a political party in Israel.-Background:Telem was formed on 19 May 1981 during the ninth Knesset by Moshe Dayan and two ex-Likud MKs. Dayan had been elected to the Knesset as an MK for the Alignment, which had lost the election for the first time in...
party, and was elected to the Knesset on its list in the elections that year
Israeli legislative election, 1981
Elections for the tenth Knesset were held in Israel on 30 June 1981. Despite last minute polls suggesting a victory for Shimon Peres's Alignment, Menachem Begin's Likud won by just one seat...
. In July 1982 he was appointed Minister without Portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
. On 6 June 1983 Telem split and Ben-Porat established the Movement for the Renewal of Social Zionism
Movement for the Renewal of Social Zionism
The Movement for the Renewal of Social Zionism was a short-lived minor political party in Israel during the mid-1980s.-Background:The party was formed on 6 June 1983 by Minister without Portfolio Mordechai Ben-Porat following the break-up of Telem .However, the party failed to cross the electoral...
. He remained in the cabinet until 31 January 1984, and lost his seat in the elections that year
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...
. In 1988 he joined 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...
.
Awards
In 2001 he was awarded the Israel PrizeIsrael Prize
The Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...
for his lifetime achievements and special contribution to society and the State of Israel, in particular for his role in rescuing the Jews of Iraq.