Yigal Cohen-Orgad (, 30 August 1937 – 27 August 2019) was an Israeli politician who served as

Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...

from October 1983 until September 1984. He was one of the founders of

Ariel University Ariel University ( he, אוניברסיטת אריאל), previously a public college known as the Ariel University Center of Samaria, is an Israeli university located in the urban Israeli settlement of Ariel (city), Ariel in the West Bank. The c ...

, serving as its chancellor until his death.

Biography

Born in

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...

during the Mandate era, Cohen-Orgad studied economics and education at the

Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...

. During his youth, he was a member of the Bnei Etzel (''Young

Irgun Irgun • Etzel , image = Irgun.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = Irgun emblem. The map shows both Mandatory Palestine and the Emirate of Transjordan, which the Irgun claimed in its entirety for a future Jewish state. The acronym "Etzel" i ...

'') youth movement. In 1962 he started working in the Economic Planning Authority in the

Ministry of Finance A ministry of finance is a part of the government in most countries that is responsible for matters related to the finance. Lists of current ministries of finance Named "Ministry" * Ministry of Finance (Afghanistan) * Ministry of Finance and Eco ...

. He joined

Herut Herut ( he, חֵרוּת, ''Freedom'') was the major conservative nationalist political party in Israel from 1948 until its formal merger into Likud in 1988. It was an adherent of Revisionist Zionism. History Herut was founded by Menachem Begin ...

, but left and joined the

Free Centre The Free Centre ( he, המרכז החופשי, ''HaMerkaz HaHofshi'') was a political party in Israel. It is one of the forerunners of the modern-day Likud. History The party was created on 29 March 1967 during the sixth Knesset when Shmuel Tami ...

in 1965. He eventually returned to Herut, which by the mid-1970s had become part of the

Likud Likud ( he, הַלִּיכּוּד, HaLikud, The Consolidation), officially known as Likud – National Liberal Movement, is a major centre-right to right-wing political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon ...

alliance. He became chairman of Herut's economic council, and in 1977, was elected to 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 ...

on the Likud list. He changed his name from Yigal Cohen to Yigal Cohen-Orgad to differentiate himself from

Yigal Cohen Yigal Cohen ( he, יגאל כהן, born 1928, died 6 December 1988) was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Likud between 1974 and 1988. Biography Born in Tel Adashim during the Mandate era, during his youth Cohen co ...

, another Likud MK; "Orgad" was created from the initials of his four children.Ariel University director, former MK Yigal Cohen-Orgad dies aged 82
The Jerusalem Post, 27 August 2019 Re-elected in 1981, he was appointed Minister of Finance in October 1983, replacing

Yoram Aridor Yoram Aridor ( he, יורם ארידור, born 24 October 1933) is an Israeli former politician, who served as a member of the Knesset from 1969 until 1988, as well as holding two ministerial posts. Biography Born in Tel Aviv, Aridor studied la ...

. Although he retained his seat in the 1984 elections, he was not included in the new

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

. He lost his Knesset seat in the

1988 elections The following elections occurred in the year 1988. Africa * 1988 Cameroonian general election * 1988 Equatorial Guinean legislative election * 1988 Kenyan general election * 1988 Malian parliamentary election * 1988 Rwandan parliamentary elect ...

. Together with

Moshe Arens Moshe Arens (27 December 1925 – 7 January 2019) was an Israeli aeronautical engineer, researcher, diplomat and Likud politician. A member of the Knesset between 1973 and 1992 and again from 1999 until 2003, he served as Minister of Defense th ...

, Cohen-Orgad was a driving force behind Israeli higher education in the occupied

West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

. Among the active founders of the College of Judea & Samaria, he became the major factor in its development into

raising millions of dollars from private and public sources. In 2013 he was presented with Moskowitz Prize for

Zionism Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after ''Zion'') is a Nationalism, nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is ...

References

External links

*
Yigal Cohen-Orgad Wins Moskowitz Prize

Orgad, Israel & the Peace Process

Cohen-Orgad replaces Aridor

Cohen Orgad holds burning torch in Betar uniform, before setting out for torch run in first Betaryada
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cohen-Orgad, Yigal 1937 births 2019 deaths 20th-century Israeli civil servants Academic staff of Ariel University Betar members Burials at Yarkon Cemetery Free Centre politicians Hebrew University of Jerusalem alumni Herut politicians Israeli Jews Jewish Israeli politicians Jews in Mandatory Palestine Likud politicians Members of the 9th Knesset (1977–1981) Members of the 10th Knesset (1981–1984) Members of the 11th Knesset (1984–1988) Ministers of Finance of Israel Moskowitz Prize for Zionism laureates Politicians from Tel Aviv