Efraim Sneh

MKs


Date of birth = Birth date and age|1944|9|19|df=y
Year of Aliyah =
Date of death =
Knesset(s) = 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th,
17th (current)
Party = Labor Party
Former parties =
Gov't roles = Minister of Health
Minister of Transportation

Efraim Sneh ( _he. אפרים סנה, born 19 September 1944)Cite news
title = Sneh Ephraim
work = nfc
accessdate = 2008-09-02
date = 2008-02-19
url = http://www.nfc.co.il/Archive/006-D-1081-00.html?tag=08-10-51 he icon] is an Israeli politician and physician. He has been a member of the Knesset for the Labor Party and served briefly in the current Government as Deputy Defense Minister.

Biography

Born in Tel Aviv in 1944, [ [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/sneh.html Ephraim Sneh] Jewish Virtual Library] Sneh is the son of Moshe Sneh, who was one of the heads of the Haganah. His father was elected to the first Knesset as a representative of Mapam, before defecting to Maki, the Israeli Communist Party.

Sneh served in the Nahal infantry battalion from 1962 to 1964. He studied medicine at Tel Aviv University and specialized in internal medicine. Once he finished his studies he returned to military service as a battalion doctor, then as a brigade doctor for the Paratroopers Brigade. In the Yom Kippur War he commanded a medical unit of the brigade in the Battle of The Chinese Farm and battles west of the Suez canal. Sneh also commanded the medical unit at Operation Entebbe, served as commander of the elite Unit 669 and as commander of the security zone in south Lebanon. His last role in the IDF was as head of the civilian administration of the West Bank.Cite web
title = Ephraim Sneh
work = Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
accessdate = 2008-09-02
date = 2005-03-30
url = http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2002/11/Ephraim%20Sneh]

In December 1987, with his release from the army he joined the Labor Party. From 1988 to 1994 he served on many delegations, specifically dealing with the Palestinian leadership. In 1992 Sneh was elected to the Knesset, serving as Minister of Health from 1994 to 1996. In 1999 he was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense, and in 2001 he was appointed Minister of Transportation.

Sneh stood out in his objection to the withdrawal from southern Lebanon, though he eventually accepted it following Prime Minister Ehud Barak's decision. Generally, Sneh is considered a "hawk" in the Labor Party.Cite news
last = Hoffman
first = Gil
coauthors = Herb Keinon
title = Jerusalem
work = Jerusalem Post
accessdate = 2008-09-02
date = 2003-11-14
url = http://info.jpost.com/C003/Supplements/FSB/031114/art.7.01.html] He has repeatedly expressed concern over Iran's Nuclear Program,Cite news
last = Hoffman
first = Gil
coauthors = Sheera Claire Frenkel
title = Sneh: IDF must be ready to stop Iran
work = Jerusalem Post
accessdate = 2008-09-02
date = 2006-11-10
url = http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1162378366509] Cite news
title = Deputy Defense Minister denies report Israel in talks over attack on Iran
work = Haaretz
accessdate = 2008-09-02
date = 2007-02-27
url = http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/829673.html] In 2006, Iran filed a complaint to the UN Security Council over his remarks that Israel must be ready to prevent Iran's nuclear program "at all costs."Cite news
title = Iran complains to UN Security Council over Sneh comments
work = Haaretz
accessdate = 2008-09-02
date = 2008-03-02
url = http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/786439.html]

In the negotiations leading to the formation of the 31st Government under Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, there was extensive speculation that Sneh would be appointed Deputy Minister of Defense. Although not initially appointed to a position in the government, Sneh was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense on 30 October 2006. He served under Defense Minister Amir Peretz, who also was the Labor Party leader. The replacement of Peretz by Barak as both party leader and Defense Minister in the summer of 2007 also led to a change in the deputy position; Sneh left office on 18 June 2007 and was replaced by Matan Vilnai.Cite news
title = Barak: Labor ministers will vote against government budget cuts
work = Haaretz
accessdate = 2008-09-02
date = 2007-07-08
url = http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/879193.html]

On 25 May 2008 Sneh announced that he would be leaving the Labor Party and creating a new party, Yisrael Hazakah, ("Strong Israel"). He left the Knesset on 28 May and was replaced by Shakhiv Shana'an.Cite news
last = Mualem
first = Mazal
coauthors = Jack Khoury
title = Sneh quits Labor to launch new party in run-up to next vote
work = Haaretz
accessdate = 2008-09-02
date = 2008-03-27
url = http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasen/spages/986899.html]

He lives in Herzliya, and is married with 2 children.

References

External links

* [http://www.sneh.org.il//eng/page/index.asp Efraim Sneh's website]
*Cite news
last = Sneh
first = Ephraim
title = How to stop Hamas
work = Haaretz
accessdate = 2008-09-02
date = 2007-07-19
url = http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/882544.html
*Cite news
last = Sales
first = Ben
title = 'There's nothing stronger than an idea whose time has come'
work = Jerusalem Post
accessdate = 2008-09-02
date = 2008-07-07
url = http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1215330889586
*Cite news
last = Sneh
first = Ephraim
title = Go all the way
work = Ynetnews
accessdate = 2008-09-02
date = 2006-07-23
url = http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3280093,00.html
*Cite news
last = Karni
first = Yuval
title = Tired of the sidelines
work = Ynetnews
accessdate = 2008-09-02
date = 2008-05-28
url = http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3548365,00.html