Mordechai Zar
Encyclopedia
Mordechai Zar was an Israel
i politician who served as a member of the Knesset
for Mapai
and its successors between 1959 and 1974.
in Persia (now Iran
), Zar made aliyah
to Mandate Palestine in 1935. He worked in construction and road paving, before starting work for the Employment Bureau in 1942. In 1946 he became director of the Mizrach Jew department of the Histadrut
trade union. He also served as a member of Jerusalem Workers Council, and was director of its Culture Department. In addition, Zar was president of the Association of Iranian Jewish Immigrants, and chairman of the Jerusalem branch of the Sephardi Jewish Committee.
In 1955 he was elected to Jerusalem City Council, on which he served until 1965. In 1959
he was elected to the Knesset on the Mapai list. Although he lost his seat in the 1961 elections
, he returned to the Knesset on 17 May 1963 as a replacement for the deceased Ami Assaf
. He retained his seat in elections in 1965
and 1969
(by which time Mapai had formed the Alignment
), before losing it in the 1973 elections
.
Zar died in 1982 at the age of 68.
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 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...
and its successors between 1959 and 1974.
Biography
Born in MashhadMashhad
Mashhad , is the second largest city in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia Muslim world. It is also the only major Iranian city with an Arabic name. It is located east of Tehran, at the center of the Razavi Khorasan Province close to the borders of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Its...
in Persia (now 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...
), Zar 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 in 1935. He worked in construction and road paving, before starting work for the Employment Bureau in 1942. In 1946 he became director of the Mizrach Jew department of the Histadrut
Histadrut
HaHistadrut HaKlalit shel HaOvdim B'Eretz Yisrael , known as the Histadrut, is Israel's organization of trade unions. Established in December 1920 during the British Mandate for Palestine, it became one of the most powerful institutions of the State of Israel.-History:The Histadrut was founded in...
trade union. He also served as a member of Jerusalem Workers Council, and was director of its Culture Department. In addition, Zar was president of the Association of Iranian Jewish Immigrants, and chairman of the Jerusalem branch of the Sephardi Jewish Committee.
In 1955 he was elected to Jerusalem City Council, on which he served until 1965. 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 Mapai list. Although he lost his seat in the 1961 elections
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...
, he returned to the Knesset on 17 May 1963 as a replacement for the deceased Ami Assaf
Ami Assaf
Ami Assaf was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Mapai from 1949 until 1961.-Biography:Born in Rosh Pinna, Assaf attended Herliya Gymnasium. After finishing school, he worked in agriculture...
. He retained his seat in elections in 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...
and 1969
Israeli legislative election, 1969
Elections for the seventh Knesset were held in Israel on 28 October 1969. Voter turnout was 81.7%.-Results:¹ Meir Avizohar defected from the National List to the Alignment² Avner Shaki left the National Religious Party and remained a single MK...
(by which time Mapai had formed 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...
), before losing it in the 1973 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1973
The Elections for the eighth Knesset were held on 31 December 1973. Voter turnout was 78.6%.-Results:1 Aryeh Eliav left the Alignment and merged with Ratz to form Ya'ad - Civil Rights Movement...
.
Zar died in 1982 at the age of 68.