- Eli Yishai
MKs
Date of birth = Birth date and age|1962|12|26|df=y
Date of Aliyah =
Date of death =
Knesset(s) = 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th (current)
Party =Shas
Former parties =
Gov't roles = Deputy Prime Minister
Minister of Industry, Trade & Labour
Minister of Internal Affairs
Minister of Labor & Social WelfareEliyahu "Eli" Yishai ( _he. אליהו "אלי" ישי, born
26 December 1962 ) is anIsrael i politician and head of theShas party. He is married and has seven children.Political life
Yishai started his political life as a member of the Jerusalem City Council from 1987-1988. He was first elected to the
Knesset in the 1996 elections as a member ofShas , the Mizrahi Ultra-orthodox party, and was made Minister of Labour and Social Welfare inBinyamin Netanyahu 's government.He retained his seat in the 1999 elections, and was again appointed Minister of Labor and Social Welfare in
Ehud Barak 's government. AfterAriel Sharon beat Barak in the 2001 Prime Ministerial election, Yishai was appointed as Interior Minister and made a Deputy Prime Minister in Sharon'snational unity government .Yishai took over as party leader when
Aryeh Deri was convicted of fraud but Shas were not included in Ariel Sharon's coalition government of the 16th Knesset.After the 2006 elections Shas were invited to join
Ehud Olmert 's coaltion and Yishai was made Minister of Industry, Trade, and Labour as well as being a Deputy Prime Minister.Yishai came under fire in February 2006 when he told reporters that "homosexuality is clearly a disease", and wished gays and lesbians a "speedy recovery". [ [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3219924,00.html Shas chairman: Gays are sick people] Ynetnews, 22 February 2006]
References
External links
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