Gad Ben-Meir

Gad Ben-Meir LL.B LL.M (born 1 October, 1931 in Baghdad, Iraq) is an Australian lawyer and former diplomat.

Biography

Matriculated in 1948 at Shammash Secondary School, he worked for the next two years as a teacher at the “Alliance Israelite Universelle” in Baghdad.

In 1950, he immigrated to Israel with most members of his family.

After a short spell at a Kibbutz, he enrolled at the Law Faculty of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He obtained his Masters of Laws Degree LL.M in 1955, and was admitted to the Israeli Bar in 1957. He completed his Army service while he was studying at the University. He married in London in July, 1963.

Early working life

Ben-Meir joined the Arab Department of the General Federation of Labour and was involved in the economic development of the Arab Sector. He was the Editor of a monthly called “Al-Ta’awun” (Co-operation) published by his Department in Arabic. During the next five years he participated in formulating policy concerning the economic and political advancement of the Arab minority in Israel. He was also active in Israeli politics and in the Tel-Aviv Bar Association.

In 1963, he was posted to France, assisting the Foreign Minister’s Office in evaluating Arab Anti-Israeli activity in Western Europe. Two years later, he was appointed as the Executive Director of the World Sephardi Federation in London, which he represented in a number of Jewish and Zionist congresses. Ben-Meir wrote about Jewish and Middle Eastern affairs in the Federation’s bi-monthly “Sepharad” and in other Jewish publications in London.

Professional career

In 1968, Mr. Ben-Meir and his young family arrived in Australia, went into business and, nine years later, enrolled at Monash University, obtained his LL.B. degree, was admitted as Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court and commenced his legal practice in February 1979 in Melbourne where he is still in practice.

Diplomatic, political and community activities

Ben-Meir had a lengthy involvement in Victorian State Politics and Jewish Communal Affairs. He became President of the Sephardi Association of Victoria, and built the first Sephardi Synagogue in this State. Ben-Meir served as President of the Sephardi Federation of Australia, and represented the Sephardi Community at the Jewish Council of Victoria (formerly the Board of Deputies).

Ben-Meir also served as the Victorian and then Federal President of Jewish Ex-Servicemen & Women. He served as Chairman of the Victorian Inner Eastern Regional Consultative Council, Vice President of the Wheelers Hill Branch of the Liberal Party of Australia, President of the Middle Camberwell Branch and President of the Liberal Speakers Group. He is an Executive Member of the Hawthorn Electorate Council and a Delegate to Liberal Party State Conferences.

Ben-Meir is the editor of "Gesher" (the annual publication of the Council of Christians & Jews) and of "Aleph-Tav", the annual publication of the Friends of Tel-Aviv University. He was Chairman of that Organisation for five years, and was elected and still serves as a Member of the Board of Governors of Tel-Aviv University.

Mr. Ben-Meir has three adult children.

He speaks, reads and writes English, Hebrew, Arabic and some French. He has been enamoured with Arabic poetry since his secondary schooling at Sammash but has only recently published some of his work in Kalimat, a six monthly periodical published in Sydney, Australia under the editorship of Raghid Nahhas, originally from Syria.