Ya'akov Jacques Amir ( he, יעקב ז'אק אמיר; 15 March 1933 – 31 March 2011) was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the

Knesset The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...

for the

Alignment Alignment may refer to: Archaeology * Alignment (archaeology), a co-linear arrangement of features or structures with external landmarks * Stone alignment, a linear arrangement of upright, parallel megalithic standing stones Biology * Structu ...

between 1974 and 1988.

Biography

Born Jacques Amzalag in Essaouira in

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

, Amir was educated in a vocational high school in Casablanca and was a member of the Pioneer youth movement. His father was Yitzhak-Chaim Amzalag. In 1952, he made aliyah to Israel, where he joined kibbutz

Ein Gev Ein Gev ( he, עֵין גֵּב) is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee near the ruins of the Greco-Roman settlement of Hippos, it falls under the jurisdiction of Emek HaYarden Regional Council. In ...

and the

Ahdut HaAvoda Ahdut HaAvoda ( he, אַחְדוּת הַעֲבוֹדָה, lit. ''Labour Unity'') was the name used by a series of political parties. Ahdut HaAvoda in its first incarnation was led by David Ben-Gurion. It was first established during the perio ...

party. His first name, Jacques, was accidentally hebraized in Yaakov due to the error of an official at the Haifa port. The following year he moved to kibbutz

Ginosar Ginosar ( he, גִּנּוֹסַר) is a kibbutz in the Plain of Ginosar on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. Located north of Tiberias on Highway 90, it falls under the jurisdiction of Emek HaYarden Regional Council. In it ha ...

, where he lived until moving to

Dimona Dimona ( he, דִּימוֹנָה, ar, ديمونا) is an Israeli city in the Negev desert, to the south-east of Beersheba and west of the Dead Sea above the Arava valley in the Southern District of Israel. In its population was . The Shi ...

in 1958. From 1959 until 1974, he worked at the

Dead Sea Works The Dead Sea Works ( he, מפעלי ים המלח, ''Mif'alei Yam HaMelakh'') is an Israeli potash plant in Sdom, on the Dead Sea coast of Israel. History Under the British administration, concessions from the Mandatory government were given ...

, becoming senior foreman of the metal section, and first secretary and chairman of the workers council. He also served on Dimona Workers Council between 1959 and 1964 and as a member of the Histadrut executive committee from 1965 until 1973. In 1965, he became deputy mayor of Dimona, serving until 1968, and again from 1973 until 1976. He won a place on the Alignment list (an alliance of the Labor Party (which Ahdut HaAvoda had merged into in 1968) and Mapam) for the 1973 Knesset elections, but failed to win a seat. However, he entered the Knesset on 10 June 1974 as a replacement for former Prime Minister

Golda Meir Golda Meir, ; ar, جولدا مائير, Jūldā Māʾīr., group=nb (born Golda Mabovitch; 3 May 1898 – 8 December 1978) was an Israeli politician, teacher, and '' kibbutznikit'' who served as the fourth prime minister of Israel from 1969 to ...

.Knesset Members in the Eighth Knesset
Knesset website He was re-elected in

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democrat ...

, and the following year became mayor of Dimona, a post he held until 1984. He was re-elected to the Knesset again in

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

and

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

, before losing his seat in the 1988 elections. Outside politics, Amir was also a member of the world presidium of the Sephardi Federation and in 1986 was appointed chairman of the Israeli Alcoholism Prevention Society.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Amir, Jacques 1933 births 2011 deaths Alignment (Israel) politicians Deputy mayors of places in Israel Israeli trade unionists Jewish Israeli politicians Members of the 8th Knesset (1974–1977) Members of the 9th Knesset (1977–1981) Members of the 10th Knesset (1981–1984) Members of the 11th Knesset (1984–1988) Moroccan emigrants to Israel 20th-century Moroccan Jews People from Essaouira Politicians from Dimona Mayors of places in Israel