Yehiel Leket
Encyclopedia
Yehiel Leket is an Israel
i Zionist
activist and former politician who briefly served as a member of the Knesset
for the Alignment
in 1977.
during the Mandate era, Leket attended the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
, where he studied philosophy and political science. He began working at the Ministry of Education and Culture, and was the ministry's spokesman between 1965 and 1969, serving as chairman of the Government Ministrys' Spokesmens group between 1967 and 1968.
In 1969 he became chairman of the young leadership of the Labor Party. He was on the Alignment list for the 1973 elections
, but failed to win a seat. Between 1975 and 1976 served as the head Aliyah
emissary in the United States
, and the following year entered the Knesset at the start of January as a replacement for Avraham Ofer
, who had committed suicide following the Yadlin affair
. However, he lost his seat in the May 1977 elections
.
Between 1978 and 1982 Leket served as general secretaryu of the World Labor Zionist Organization, and from 1982 until 1989 as its chairman. From 1989 until 1992 he headed the Settlement Division of the World Zionist Organization
, and between 1992 and 1996 headed the Youth Aliyah
department of the Jewish Agency
. In 1994 he briefly served as acting chairman of the WZO and the Jewish Agency, before being appointed head of the Department of Development and Settlement and chairman of Youth Aliyah in 1996.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i Zionist
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
activist and former politician who briefly 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...
in 1977.
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...
during the Mandate era, Leket attended 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...
, where he studied philosophy and political science. He began working at the Ministry of Education and Culture, and was the ministry's spokesman between 1965 and 1969, serving as chairman of the Government Ministrys' Spokesmens group between 1967 and 1968.
In 1969 he became chairman of the young leadership of the Labor Party. He was on the Alignment list for 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...
, but failed to win a seat. Between 1975 and 1976 served as the head 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...
emissary in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and the following year entered the Knesset at the start of January as a replacement for Avraham Ofer
Avraham Ofer
Avraham Ofer was an Israeli politician, famous for committing suicide following the eruption of a corruption scandal.- Biography :Ofer was born in the Khorostkov shtetl in Poland in 1922, and immigrated to Mandate Palestine in 1933. He went to High School in Jerusalem and studied in the Hebrew...
, who had committed suicide following the Yadlin affair
Yadlin affair
The Yadlin Affair refers to a political corruption scandal that broke in Israel in 1976, involving senior members of the Labor Party...
. However, he lost his seat in the May 1977 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1977
The Elections for the ninth Knesset were held on 17 May 1977. For the first time in Israeli political history, the right-wing, led by Likud, won the election, ending almost 30 years of rule by the left-wing Alignment and its predecessor, Mapai...
.
Between 1978 and 1982 Leket served as general secretaryu of the World Labor Zionist Organization, and from 1982 until 1989 as its chairman. From 1989 until 1992 he headed the Settlement Division of the 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...
, and between 1992 and 1996 headed the Youth Aliyah
Youth Aliyah
Szold was initially skeptical about the merits of Freier's proposal, as she believed that Germany offered better educational opportunities for Jewish children than Palestine. However, Hitler's rise to power convinced her otherwise. The Nuremberg Laws were enacted in 1935 and on 31 March 1936 German...
department of the Jewish Agency
Jewish Agency for Israel
The Jewish Agency for Israel , also known as the Sochnut or JAFI, served as the organization in charge of immigration and absorption of Jews from the Diaspora into the state of Israel.-History:...
. In 1994 he briefly served as acting chairman of the WZO and the Jewish Agency, before being appointed head of the Department of Development and Settlement and chairman of Youth Aliyah in 1996.