Shlomo Benizri
Encyclopedia
Shlomo Benizri is an Israel
i politician and member of the Shas
party. He represented Shas in the Knesset between 1992 and 2008, serving as Deputy Health Minister, Minister of Health
, and Labor and Social Welfare Minister during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Criminally convicted for accepting bribes, he is currently serving a 4-year prison sentence.
, Benizri attended the Nesher Comprehensive High School, before being ordained as a rabbi at the Or HaHaim Talmudic college in Jerusalem. He later worked as a head of a Talmudic college and a lecturer on Judaism.
He was first elected to the Knesset in 1992
on Shas' list, and served as the party's parliamentary group chairman during his first term. He was re-elected in 1996
, and was appointed Deputy Minister of Health
in Binyamin Netanyahu's government. He was re-elected again in 1999 after being placed fifth on the Shas list, and was appointed Minister of Health in Ehud Barak
's government, serving in the cabinet until Shas left the government on 11 July 2000.
He returned to the cabinet after Ariel Sharon
formed a new government in 2001 as Labor and Social Welfare Minister, serving until the 2003 elections (aside from a period of two weeks in May–June 2002 when Shas withdrew from the coalition).
For the 2003 elections Benizri was placed second on the Shas list, and was re-elected. For the 2006 elections he was dropped to sixth place.
Although he retained his seat, on 29 March 2006, the day following the elections, he was charged by the State Prosecutor's Office with accepting bribes and breaching the public trust. The decision to indict Benizri after the elections had already taken place was a conscious decision on the part of the Israeli attorney general
Menachem Mazuz
. On 1 April 2008, Benizri was convicted of accepting bribes, breach of faith, obstructing justice, and conspiracy to commit a crime for accepting favors worth millions of shekels from his friend, contractor
Moshe Sela, in exchange for inside information regarding foreign workers scheduled to arrive in Israel. . On 27 April 2008, a district court sentenced him to 18 months in jail and decided that his actions amount to moral turpitude. He resigned from the Knesset the same day and was replaced by Mazor Bahaina
. Both Benizri and the state appealed the decision. On 24 June 2009, the Supreme Court
upheld the decision and prolonged Benizri's jail time to 4 years. He began serving his sentence on September 1, 2009.
to be disqualified from the Eurovision Song Contest
, which she went on to win. He stated, "The Eurovision Song Contest interests me about as much as the weather in Antarctica, but as a son of the Jewish people it [Dana International's transsexuality] offends me."
In 2001 Benizri was accused of racism
after he said "I just don't understand why a restaurant needs a slant-eye to serve me my meal." He has also stated, 'The Jews did kill Jesus' reflecting his point of view on The Passion of the Christ
controversy.
In 2008, Benizri blamed several earthquakes in the region on Israel's tolerance of homosexuality.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i politician and member of the Shas
Shas
Shas is an ultra-orthodox religious political party in Israel, primarily representing Sephardic and Mizrahi Haredi Judaism.Shas was founded in 1984 by dissident members of the Ashkenazi dominated Agudat Israel, to represent the interests of religiously observant Sephardic and Mizrahi ...
party. He represented Shas in the Knesset between 1992 and 2008, serving as Deputy Health Minister, Minister of Health
Health Minister of Israel
The Ministry of Health is a ministry in the Israeli government. The current Minister of Health is Binyamin Netanyahu of Likud.There is occasionally a Deputy Minister of Health...
, and Labor and Social Welfare Minister during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Criminally convicted for accepting bribes, he is currently serving a 4-year prison sentence.
Biography
Born in HaifaHaifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, Benizri attended the Nesher Comprehensive High School, before being ordained as a rabbi at the Or HaHaim Talmudic college in Jerusalem. He later worked as a head of a Talmudic college and a lecturer on Judaism.
He was first elected to the Knesset in 1992
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...
on Shas' list, and served as the party's parliamentary group chairman during his first term. He was re-elected in 1996
Israeli legislative election, 1996
Elections for the fourteenth Knesset were held in Israel on 29 May 1996. Voter turnout was 79.3%.The 1996 elections included two new changes, both designed to increase the stability of the Knesset. First, the Prime Minister was to be elected on a separate ballot from the remaining members of the...
, and was appointed Deputy Minister of Health
Health Minister of Israel
The Ministry of Health is a ministry in the Israeli government. The current Minister of Health is Binyamin Netanyahu of Likud.There is occasionally a Deputy Minister of Health...
in Binyamin Netanyahu's government. He was re-elected again in 1999 after being placed fifth on the Shas list, and was appointed Minister of Health in Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak is an Israeli politician who served as Prime Minister from 1999 until 2001. He was leader of the Labor Party until January 2011 and holds the posts of Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister in Binyamin Netanyahu's government....
's government, serving in the cabinet until Shas left the government on 11 July 2000.
He returned to the cabinet after Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
formed a new government in 2001 as Labor and Social Welfare Minister, serving until the 2003 elections (aside from a period of two weeks in May–June 2002 when Shas withdrew from the coalition).
For the 2003 elections Benizri was placed second on the Shas list, and was re-elected. For the 2006 elections he was dropped to sixth place.
Although he retained his seat, on 29 March 2006, the day following the elections, he was charged by the State Prosecutor's Office with accepting bribes and breaching the public trust. The decision to indict Benizri after the elections had already taken place was a conscious decision on the part of the Israeli attorney general
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
Menachem Mazuz
Menachem Mazuz
Menachem Mazuz is an Israeli jurist, who served as the Israeli Attorney General in the years 2004-2010. Mazuz was born in Djerba, Tunisia, the fourth in a family of nine children of the rabbi of one of the island's Jewish communities...
. On 1 April 2008, Benizri was convicted of accepting bribes, breach of faith, obstructing justice, and conspiracy to commit a crime for accepting favors worth millions of shekels from his friend, contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
Moshe Sela, in exchange for inside information regarding foreign workers scheduled to arrive in Israel. . On 27 April 2008, a district court sentenced him to 18 months in jail and decided that his actions amount to moral turpitude. He resigned from the Knesset the same day and was replaced by Mazor Bahaina
Mazor Bahaina
Mazor Mahoy Bahaina is an Israeli kes, rabbi and former politician, who served as a member of the Knesset for Shas between 2008 and 2009.-Biography:...
. Both Benizri and the state appealed the decision. On 24 June 2009, the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Israel
The Supreme Court is at the head of the court system and highest judicial instance in Israel. The Supreme Court sits in Jerusalem.The area of its jurisdiction is all of Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. A ruling of the Supreme Court is binding upon every court, other than the Supreme...
upheld the decision and prolonged Benizri's jail time to 4 years. He began serving his sentence on September 1, 2009.
Views
In 1998, he called for Dana InternationalDana International
Sharon Cohen , professionally known as Dana International is an Israeli pop singer of Yemenite Jewish ancestry. She has released eight albums and three additional compilation albums, positioning herself as one of Israel's most successful musical acts ever...
to be disqualified from the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
, which she went on to win. He stated, "The Eurovision Song Contest interests me about as much as the weather in Antarctica, but as a son of the Jewish people it [Dana International's transsexuality] offends me."
In 2001 Benizri was accused of racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
after he said "I just don't understand why a restaurant needs a slant-eye to serve me my meal." He has also stated, 'The Jews did kill Jesus' reflecting his point of view on The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American drama film directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...
controversy.
In 2008, Benizri blamed several earthquakes in the region on Israel's tolerance of homosexuality.