Pinchas Goldstein
Encyclopedia
Pinchas Goldstein was an Israel
i politician, who served as a member of the Knesset
for Likud
and the New Liberal Party
between 1981 and 1992, and as Deputy Minister of Communications
and Deputy Minister of Education and Culture during the early 1990s.
branch of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
, but did not graduate. He was a member of the board of directors of Israel Electric Corporation
from 1978 to 1981, and a member of the Executive of World Zionist Organization
from 1978 to 1982.
Originally a member of the Liberal Party
, he was elected to the Knesset on the Likud list (an alliance of Herut
, the Liberal Party and other right-wing factions) in 1981
. He was re-elected in 1984
and 1988
. On 15 March 1990, Goldstein and four other Likud MKs left the party to establish the Party for the Advancement of the Zionist Idea, which was later renamed the New Liberal Party. This was part of what became known as the dirty trick
, with Shimon Peres
attempting to form a new government without Likud. Although Peres failed, the new faction joined a Likud-led government and Goldstein was appointed as Deputy Minister of Communications
, and later Deputy Minister of Education and Culture.
The New Liberal Party failed to cross the electoral threshold
in the 1992 elections
and Goldstein lost his seat.
He died of cancer on 14 August 2007 at the age of 67.
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 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 the New Liberal Party
New Liberal Party (Israel)
The New Liberal Party was a political party in Israel in the early 1990s.-Background:The party was formed on 15 March 1990 during the twelfth Knesset by five MKs who had broken away from Likud...
between 1981 and 1992, and as Deputy Minister of Communications
Communications Minister of Israel
The Communications Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Communications and a relatively minor position in the Israeli cabinet. The post was established in 1952, and until 1970 was known as the Minister of Postal Services...
and Deputy Minister of Education and Culture during the early 1990s.
Biography
Born in Tel Aviv during the Mandate era, Goldstein graduated from the Haifa militairy school of command, a boarding school, and went on to study law at the Tel AvivTel 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...
branch 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...
, but did not graduate. He was a member of the board of directors of Israel Electric Corporation
Israel Electric Corporation
Israel Electric Corporation is the main supplier of electrical power in Israel.IEC builds, maintains and operates power generation stations, sub-stations, as well as the transmission and distribution networks....
from 1978 to 1981, and a member of the Executive of World Zionist Organization
World Zionist Organization
The World Zionist Organization , or WZO, was founded as the Zionist Organization , or ZO, in 1897 at the First Zionist Congress, held from August 29 to August 31 in Basel, Switzerland...
from 1978 to 1982.
Originally a member 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...
, he was elected to the Knesset on the Likud list (an alliance of 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:...
, the Liberal Party and other right-wing factions) in 1981
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...
. He was re-elected in 1984
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...
and 1988
Israeli legislative election, 1988
Elections for the twelfth Knesset were held in Israel on 1 November 1988. Voter turnout was 79.7%.-Results:1 Five members of the Likud left to form the Party for the Advancement of the Zionist Idea; after two returned, the party was renamed the New Liberal Party...
. On 15 March 1990, Goldstein and four other Likud MKs left the party to establish the Party for the Advancement of the Zionist Idea, which was later renamed the New Liberal Party. This was part of what became known as the dirty trick
The dirty trick (Israel)
The dirty trick refers to a political scandal that erupted in Israel in 1990. It consisted of an attempt by Shimon Peres to form a narrow government made up of the left-wing factions and the ultra-orthodox parties...
, with Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres
GCMG is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Peres served twice as the eighth Prime Minister of Israel and once as Interim Prime Minister, and has been a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years...
attempting to form a new government without Likud. Although Peres failed, the new faction joined a Likud-led government and Goldstein was appointed as Deputy Minister of Communications
Communications Minister of Israel
The Communications Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Communications and a relatively minor position in the Israeli cabinet. The post was established in 1952, and until 1970 was known as the Minister of Postal Services...
, and later Deputy Minister of Education and Culture.
The New Liberal Party failed to cross the electoral threshold
Election threshold
In party-list proportional representation systems, an election threshold is a clause that stipulates that a party must receive a minimum percentage of votes, either nationally or within a particular district, to obtain any seats in the parliament...
in the 1992 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1992
Elections for the thirteenth Knesset were held in Israel on 23 June 1992. The result was a victory for the left, led by Yitzhak Rabin's Labor Party, though their win was at least partially due to several small right-wing parties narrowly failing to cross the electoral threshold and thus effectively...
and Goldstein lost his seat.
He died of cancer on 14 August 2007 at the age of 67.