Reuven Barkat
Encyclopedia
Reuven Barkat was an Israel
i politician who served as a member of the Knesset
for the Alignment
and the Labor Party from 1965 until his death in 1972.
in the Russian Empire
(today in Lithuania
), Barkat was educated in a heder and yeshiva
, before attending the Jewish Gymnasium of Lithuania. He was amongst the founders of the Young Pioneer and Young Hebrew movements in the country. He later studied law and literature at the University of Paris
and University of Strasbourg
, and chaired the Union of Hebrew Students.
In 1926 he made aliyah
to Mandate Palestine. From 1928 until 1933 he worked as secretary of HaMerkaz HaHakla'i
's settlement department, before becoming director of the Department of Public Contacts, which organised the transfer of Jewish property from Nazi Germany
to Palestine, a post he held until 1938.
Between 1940 and 1946 he served as general secretary of the National Committee for the Jewish Soldier, before joining the Histadrut
's political department. In 1949 he became the department's head, and also a member of the union's central committee. He later also headed the Arab Affairs department.
In 1961 Barkat was appointed ambassador to Norway
. The following year he became Mapai
's general secretary, a position he held until 1966. In 1965
he was elected to the Knesset on the Alignment
list (an alliance of Mapai
and Ahdut HaAvoda
). He was re-elected in 1969
, and was appointed Speaker of the Knesset. However, he died in office in 1972 at the age of 65. His seat was taken by Aviad Yafeh
.
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 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...
and the Labor Party from 1965 until his death in 1972.
Biography
Born in TauragėTaurage
Tauragė is an industrial city in Lithuania, and the capital of Tauragė County. In 2011, its population was 26,444. Tauragė is situated on the Jūra River, close to the border with the Kaliningrad Oblast, and not far from the Baltic Sea coast....
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...
(today in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
), Barkat was educated in a heder and yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
, before attending the Jewish Gymnasium of Lithuania. He was amongst the founders of the Young Pioneer and Young Hebrew movements in the country. He later studied law and literature at the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
and University of Strasbourg
University of Strasbourg
The University of Strasbourg in Strasbourg, Alsace, France, is the largest university in France, with about 43,000 students and over 4,000 researchers....
, and chaired the Union of Hebrew Students.
In 1926 he 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. From 1928 until 1933 he worked as secretary of HaMerkaz HaHakla'i
HaMerkaz HaHakla'i
HaMerkaz HaHakla'i is a settlement movement in Israel.The 151 members of HaMerkaz HaHakla'i are selected every four years by a conference of 501 members of the Agricultural Workers Union, which was established in 1919. The organisation is headed by a 21-member secretariat.After the Histadrut was...
's settlement department, before becoming director of the Department of Public Contacts, which organised the transfer of Jewish property from Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
to Palestine, a post he held until 1938.
Between 1940 and 1946 he served as general secretary of the National Committee for the Jewish Soldier, before joining 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...
's political department. In 1949 he became the department's head, and also a member of the union's central committee. He later also headed the Arab Affairs department.
In 1961 Barkat was appointed ambassador to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The following year he became 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...
's general secretary, a position he held until 1966. 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...
he was elected to the Knesset on 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...
list (an alliance 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...
and Ahdut HaAvoda
Ahdut HaAvoda
Ahdut HaAvoda was the name used by a sequence of political parties that existed firstly during Mandate Palestine and later in Israel. Its original version, led by David Ben-Gurion, is one of the main ancestors of the modern-day Israeli Labor Party....
). He was re-elected in 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...
, and was appointed Speaker of the Knesset. However, he died in office in 1972 at the age of 65. His seat was taken by Aviad Yafeh
Aviad Yafeh
Aviad Yafeh was an Israeli diplomat and politician who served as a member of the Knesset for the Alignment between 1972 and 1977.-Biography:...
.