Yair Peretz
Encyclopedia
Yair Peretz is a former Israel
i politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Shas
from 1999 until being convicted of fraudulently obtaining an academic degree in March 2006.
to Israel in 1961. After his national service
in the IDF
(in which he served in the Nahal
), he worked as a social worker.
In 1999 he was elected to the Knesset on the Shas list. During his first term as an MK, he chaired the committee on Foreign Workers and the Labour, Welfare and Health committee, and was also the chairman of the Shas parliamentary group. He was re-elected in 2003 and remained chair of the party's parliamentary group.
In December 2004 the Knesset House Committee revoked Peretz's parliamentary immunity so that he could be charged with breach of trust, fraud and attempted conspiracy. The charges related to alleged attempts to obtain a bachelor's degree in psychology from Bar-Ilan University
, which was uncovered by a police wiretap.
After being convicted of fraudulently obtaining an academic degree in March 2006, he resigned from the Knesset and was replaced by Ofer Hugi
(who himself was later imprisoned for various charges related to forgery and fraud).
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 for 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 ...
from 1999 until being convicted of fraudulently obtaining an academic degree in March 2006.
Biography
Born in Morocco, Peretz made aliyahAliyah
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 Israel in 1961. After his national service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
in the IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
(in which he served in the Nahal
Nahal
Nahal is an Israel Defense Forces infantry brigade. Historically, it refers to a program that combines military service and establishment of new agricultural settlements, often in outlying areas...
), he worked as a social worker.
In 1999 he was elected to the Knesset on the Shas list. During his first term as an MK, he chaired the committee on Foreign Workers and the Labour, Welfare and Health committee, and was also the chairman of the Shas parliamentary group. He was re-elected in 2003 and remained chair of the party's parliamentary group.
In December 2004 the Knesset House Committee revoked Peretz's parliamentary immunity so that he could be charged with breach of trust, fraud and attempted conspiracy. The charges related to alleged attempts to obtain a bachelor's degree in psychology from Bar-Ilan University
Bar-Ilan University
Bar-Ilan University is a university in Ramat Gan of the Tel Aviv District, Israel.Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is now Israel's second-largest academic institution. It has nearly 26,800 students and 1,350 faculty members...
, which was uncovered by a police wiretap.
After being convicted of fraudulently obtaining an academic degree in March 2006, he resigned from the Knesset and was replaced by Ofer Hugi
Ofer Hugi
Ofer Hugi is a former Israeli politician who served as a Knesset member for Shas from 1999 to 2003 and again for just under a month in 2006. In 2007 he was sent to prison for various charges related to forgery and fraud.-Background:...
(who himself was later imprisoned for various charges related to forgery and fraud).