Menachem Mazuz

Menachem Mazuz
Menachem Mazuz

Menachem Mazuz (Hebrew: מנחם מזוז‎; born 1955; better known in Israel as "Meni 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. His family immigrated to Israel during his childhood, settling in Netivot.[1]

Mazuz served his compulsory military service in the IDF Armor Corps, and then studied law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, earning his law degree in 1980 specializing in public and administrative law. Upon graduation, he worked in the Ministry of Justice for several years in a number of tasks, including processing petitions to the Supreme Court. During this time he was also teaching public and administrative law at the Hebrew University. From 1991 through 1995, he served as one of the advisors coordinating legal aspects of Israel's negotiations with Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. In 1995, he was appointed Deputy Attorney General, and served in that position for ten years.

In January 2004, Mazuz was appointed Attorney General. At the time of the appointment, he was seen as a career civil servant with little political or criminal-law experience. However, the circumstances of his appointment drew considerable interest because Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his sons were under investigation by the Attorney General's office for campaign-finance irregularities relating to his 1999 campaign for leadership of the Likud party.

When Mazuz's predecessor Elyakim Rubinstein resigned to accept appointment to the Supreme Court, Mazuz was chosen by Justice Minister Yosef Lapid; his selection and confirmation were carried out without the involvement of Sharon or vice-premier Ehud Olmert (also a target of the campaign-finance investigation) who both abstained in order to avoid a conflict of interest.

Upon taking office, Mazuz said he would vigorously pursue the case against Sharon, earning him contrasts in the media with Rubinstein, who had been accused of moving too slowly on the matter. In the summer of 2005, he secured the indictment of Ariel Sharon's son Omri on corruption charges, but decided not to charge Ariel Sharon himself and his other son, Gilad.

Mazuz adopted a hardline legal approach towards demonstrators opposing the destruction of the Jewish towns of Gush Katif. While stating that measures will be taken against violent demonstrators, and that detained protestors would not be given a collective pardon, he also forbade a demonstration in the town of Sderot. After the successful and relatively peaceful completion of the retreat, Mazuz said that it was freedom of demonstration which prevented the operation from escalating into a violent one.

Mazuz faced harsh criticism following his decision, given in January 2005, according to which Israeli Arabs are allowed to buy lands owned by the Jewish National Fund. Some have accused Mazuz of incompliance with Israel's image as a Jewish state.

Mazuz has come under criticism from human rights groups for allowing Israeli police to employ violence against demonstrators in the evacuation of Amona.

A resident of Jerusalem, he is married with two children.

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Menachem Mazuz — n. Manny Mazuz (born 1955), Israeli jurist, Israel s Attorney General (since 2004) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Mazuz — n. family name; Menachem Mazuz (born 1955), Israeli jurist, Israel s Attorney General since 2004 (also known as Manny Mazuz) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Manny Mazuz — n. Menachem Mazuz (born 1955), Israeli jurist, Israel s Attorney General (since 2004) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Yona Metzger — ( he. יונה מצגר; born 1953) has been the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel since his appointment in 2003. His counterpart is Rabbi Shlomo Amar, the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel. BackgroundRabbi Metzger was born in Haifa. He served in the Israel… …   Wikipedia

  • Ariel Sharon — אריאל שרון Ariel Sharon at the Pentagon in May 2002. 11th Prime Minister of Israel In office 7 March 2001 – 14 April 2006 …   Wikipedia

  • Moshe Katsav — משה קצב 8th President of Israel In office 1 August 2000 – 1 July 2007 Prime Minister …   Wikipedia

  • Elyakim Rubinstein — ( he. אליקים רובינשטיין, born 1947) was the Attorney General of Israel from 1997 to 2004. Rubinstein, a lifelong Israeli diplomat and civil servant, has had an influential role in that country s internal and external politics, most notably in… …   Wikipedia

  • Ehud Olmert — Infobox Prime Minister name = Ehud Olmert אהוד אולמרט order = Prime Minister of Israel president = Moshe Katsav Shimon Peres deputy = Tzipi Livni term start = 14 April 2006 nowrap|Caretaker Prime Minister 4 January 2006 – 14 April 2006 Acting… …   Wikipedia

  • 2006 Israel–Gaza conflict — Summer Rains redirects here. For the Ditty Bops album, see Summer Rains (album). Main articles: Israel Gaza conflict, Israeli Palestinian conflict, and 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict 2006 Israel Gaza conflict Part of the Second Intifada Date …   Wikipedia

  • Haim Ramon — Date of birth 10 April 1950 (1950 04 10) (age 61) …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”