Yosef Ba-Gad
Encyclopedia
Yosef Ba-Gad is an Israel
i former Rosh Yeshiva and politician who served as a member of the Knesset between 1992 and 1996.
in Palestine. He attended Yeshivat Hebron
and gained an MA from Bar-Ilan University
, before working as head of a yeshiva. In 1955 he established the Bnei Akiva
-affiliated Nehalim yeshiva. He also served as director of the Center for Religious Education and was a member of the Council for Religious Education.
In 1992
he was elected to the Knesset on the Moledet
list. However, on 12 March 1996 he left the party to sit as an independent. He established a new party named Moreshet Avot (Heritage of the Fathers), and planned to run in the 1996 elections
, though the party pulled out and Ba-Gad lost his seat. He had also planned to run in the election for Prime Minister
, but failed to gather the 50,000 signatures necessary.
Ba-Gad decided to run again in the 1999 elections
, but was disqualified by the Central Elections Committee
after it was discovered that at least one-third of the 61,000 signatures he submitted were suspected to be fradulent. Moreshet Avot remained on the ballot for the Knesset elections, but won only 1,164 votes, the lowest of any party, after Ba-Gad called on his supporters to vote for the National Religious Party
.
In 2005 he was indicted on charges of aggravated forgery, conspiracy to committing a crime, suborning perjury and attempted fraud, all relating to his 1999 election campaign, in which he allegedly offered businessman Meir Manor NIS 100,000 to fraudulently collect 30,000 signatures. He was eventually convicted as part of plea bargain in 2007 and sentences to six months in prison.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i former Rosh Yeshiva and politician who served as a member of the Knesset between 1992 and 1996.
Biography
Ba-Gad was born in the Jerusalem neighbourhood of MotzaMotza
Motza ת is a neighbourhood in the western edge of Jerusalem, Israel, located 600 metres above sea level. In the Judean Hills, surrounded by forest, it is a relatively isolated place connected to Jerusalem by the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway and the winding mountain road to Har Nof...
in Palestine. He attended Yeshivat Hebron
Slabodka yeshiva
Hebron Yeshiva, also known as Yeshivas Hevron, or Knesses Yisroel, and originally as Slabodka Yeshiva, is known colloquially as the "mother of yeshivas" and was devoted to high=level study of the Talmud. The yeshiva was located in the Lithuanian town of Slabodka, adjacent to Kovno , now...
and gained an MA 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...
, before working as head of a yeshiva. In 1955 he established the Bnei Akiva
Bnei Akiva
Bnei Akiva is the largest religious Zionist youth movement in the world, with over 125,000 members in 37 countries. It was established in Mandate Palestine in 1929.-History:...
-affiliated Nehalim yeshiva. He also served as director of the Center for Religious Education and was a member of the Council for Religious Education.
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...
he was elected to the Knesset on the Moledet
Moledet
Moledet is a small right-wing political party in Israel. It advocates the notion of encouraging voluntary population transfer of the Arab population of the West Bank. Moledet was founded in 1988 by Rehavam Ze'evi, who headed it until his assassination by members of the PFLP in 2001, after which...
list. However, on 12 March 1996 he left the party to sit as an independent. He established a new party named Moreshet Avot (Heritage of the Fathers), and planned to run in the 1996 elections
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...
, though the party pulled out and Ba-Gad lost his seat. He had also planned to run in the election for Prime Minister
Israeli prime ministerial election, 1996
The first ever election for Prime Minister was held in Israel on 29 May 1996 alongside simultaneous Knesset elections. There were only two candidates: Shimon Peres of the Labour Party and Binyamin Netanyahu of Likud. The result was a surprise win for Netanyahu by a margin of 29,457 votes, less than...
, but failed to gather the 50,000 signatures necessary.
Ba-Gad decided to run again in the 1999 elections
Israeli prime ministerial election, 1999
The second Prime Ministerial election in Israel was held on 17 May 1999 alongside elections for the 15th Knesset. Voter turnout was 69.0%.-Context:...
, but was disqualified by the Central Elections Committee
Israeli Central Elections Committee
The Israeli Central Elections Committee is the body charged under the Knesset Elections Law of 1969 to carry out the elections for the upcoming Knesset. The committee is composed of Knesset members representating various parliamentary groups and is chaired by a Supreme Court Justice...
after it was discovered that at least one-third of the 61,000 signatures he submitted were suspected to be fradulent. Moreshet Avot remained on the ballot for the Knesset elections, but won only 1,164 votes, the lowest of any party, after Ba-Gad called on his supporters to vote for the National Religious Party
National Religious Party
The National Religious Party ) was a political party in Israel representing the religious Zionist movement. Formed in 1956, at the time of its dissolution in 2008, it was the second oldest surviving party in the country after Agudat Yisrael, and was part of every government coalition until 1992...
.
In 2005 he was indicted on charges of aggravated forgery, conspiracy to committing a crime, suborning perjury and attempted fraud, all relating to his 1999 election campaign, in which he allegedly offered businessman Meir Manor NIS 100,000 to fraudulently collect 30,000 signatures. He was eventually convicted as part of plea bargain in 2007 and sentences to six months in prison.