Yosef Yitzhak Paritzky ( he, יוסף יצחק פריצקי; 14 September 1955 – 5 October 2021) was an Israeli attorney, politician and columnist.

Background

Born and raised in the Beit HaKerem neighbourhood of

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

, Paritzky studied law 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 ...

, where he gained an LL.B., and went on to work as an attorney. He was an attorney both in Israel and in New York. Paritzky was known as a secular liberal who advocated for the separation of state and religion in Israel. He formed the association ''Am Hofshi'' (''Free People'') and was its chairman. Due to his activities he was offered a seat on the

Shinui Shinui ( he, שִׁינּוּי, lit. ''Change'') was a Zionist, secular, and anti-clerical free market liberal party and political movement in Israel. The party twice became the third-largest in the Knesset, but both occasions were followed by a ...

list prior to

1999 elections The following elections occurred in the year 1999. * 1999 electoral calendar Africa * 1999 Algerian presidential election * 1999 Botswana general election * 1999 Beninese parliamentary election * 1999 Central African Republic presidential elect ...

. After winning a

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 ...

seat in the elections, Paritzky served as a member of the finance committee. He was re-elected in 2003 and was appointed Minister of National Infrastructure and Energy in

Ariel Sharon Ariel Sharon (; ; ; also known by his diminutive Arik, , born Ariel Scheinermann, ; 26 February 1928 – 11 January 2014) was an Israeli general and politician who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Israel from March 2001 until April 2006. S ...

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

. Paritzky established the natural gas system in Israel and also led dramatic changes in the electricity and water fields. He was the first to suggest an "Infrastructure Undersea Tunnel" between Turkey and Israel and gave licenses to the first private power stations in Israel. However, Paritzky had to leave his position in the Government in July 2004, due to the demand of

Tommy Lapid Yosef "Tommy" Lapid ( he, יוסף "טומי" לפיד, born as Tomislav Lampel, sr-cyr, Томислав Лампел; 27 December 1931 – 1 June 2008) was a Yugoslav-born Israeli radio and television presenter, playwright, journalist, politi ...

, head of Shinui, with whom Paritzky had a long and bitter dispute. Tapes of Paritzky were published in which he was heard apparently attempting to catch

Avraham Poraz Avraham Poraz ( he, אברהם פורז, born 9 August 1945) is an Israeli lawyer and former politician. Biography Poraz was born in Bucharest, Romania in 1945 and immigrated to Israel in 1950. He served in the Military Police Corps of the ...

, the party's deputy leader, in wrongdoings. Paritzky's actions were investigated by the police, but charges were not brought since the police and the

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

found no evidence of any criminal acts. Shinui, led by Lapid and Poraz, attempted to have Paritzky expelled from the Knesset and replace him with another Shinui MK. However, the Knesset House Committee refused this attempt and allowed him to retain his seat. Paritzky then announced that he was forming his own party,

Tzalash Tzalash ( he, צל"ש, an acronym for ''Tziyonut Liberaliyut Shivyon'', ( he, ציונות ליברליות שוויון) lit. ''Zionism Liberalism Equality'') was a one-man political faction in Israel. Background Tzalash was formed after MK an ...

, and would run in the 2006 elections, saying his goal was for Shinui "not to attain the minimum number of votes needed to get into the Knesset". Although it was possible for the faction to receive 600,000 shekels in electoral funding, Tzalash did not participate in the 2006 elections. Despite Tzalash's demise, two of Paritzky's goals were realised; Poraz was defeated in Shinui's primary elections in January 2006, with Paritzky saying Poraz and party leader Lapid "should have been sent home long ago". In addition, in the elections, Poraz's new party, Hetz, and Shinui both failed to win any seats. He was married and had three children.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Paritzky, Yosef 1955 births 2021 deaths People from Jerusalem Hebrew University of Jerusalem Faculty of Law alumni Israeli lawyers Shinui politicians Tzalash politicians Members of the 15th Knesset (1999–2003) Members of the 16th Knesset (2003–2006)