Rafael Edri (; 10 September 1937 – 22 June 2024) was an Israeli buisnessman and politician who served as a Member of the Knesset 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 * Struc ...

and Labor Party from 1981 to 1999. He also served as

Minister without Portfolio A minister without portfolio is a government minister without specific responsibility as head of a government department. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet with decision-making authorit ...

between 1988 and 1990 and briefly as Minister of the Environment in 1990.

Life and career

Born in

Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...

in Morocco, Edri emigrated to Israel in 1956. In 1957, Edri became an aide to the head of the Hatzor HaGlilit local council, serving at various times as a clerk, secretary and treasurer. In 1960, Edri was

conscripted Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it contin ...

into service in the

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...

, serving for a short time near Tel Hai in the

Upper Galilee The Upper Galilee (, ''HaGalil Ha'Elyon''; , ''Al Jaleel Al A'alaa'') is a geographical region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Part of the larger Galilee region, it is characterized by its higher elevations and mountainous terra ...

. Edri led

Mapai Mapai (, an abbreviation for , ''Mifleget Poalei Eretz Yisrael'', ) was a Labor Zionist and democratic socialist political party in Israel, and was the dominant force in Israeli politics until its merger into the Israeli Labor Party in January ...

and subsequently the

Israeli Labor Party The Israeli Labor Party (), commonly known in Israel as HaAvoda (), was a Social democracy, social democratic political party in Israel. The party was established in 1968 by a merger of Mapai, Ahdut HaAvoda and Rafi (political party), Rafi. Unt ...

through three municipal elections in

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...

, 1969 and

1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...

. Edri lost all three elections to a coalition between Mafdal and

Gahal Gahal (, an acronym for ''Gush Herut–Liberalim'' (Hebrew: ), ''lit.'' ''Freedom–Liberals Bloc'') was the main right-leaning political alliance in Israel, ranging from the centre-right to right-wing, from its founding in 1965 until the establi ...

(later

Likud Likud (, ), officially known as Likud – National Liberal Movement (), is a major Right-wing politics, right-wing, political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon in an alliance with several right-wing par ...

), but formed successsive coalitions in the middle of each term, the first from March 1968 to December 1969, with support from a councillor who left Gahal, and the following two terms, from October 1972 to March 1973 and from February to May 1974 through coalitions with Mafdal and Gahal respectively. The first coalition ended after the election, while the latter two ended in the middle of the term, with Edri's coalition replaced by one between Mafdal and Gahal. Edri was not re-elected to the council in

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...

, and moved to Herzliya Pituah that year. Edri was first elected to the Knesset in

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...

, and was continuously re-elected as a member of Alignment and Labor until

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

. After the 1984 election, he became the Chairman of the Alignment parliamentary group. He also became the in October 1986 as part of a rotation agreement between Prime Ministers

Shimon Peres Shimon Peres ( ; ; born Szymon Perski, ; 2 August 1923 – 28 September 2016) was an Israeli politician and statesman who served as the prime minister of Israel from 1984 to 1986 and from 1995 to 1996 and as the president of Israel from 2007 t ...

and

Yitzhak Shamir Yitzhak Shamir (, ; born Yitzhak Yezernitsky; October 22, 1915 – June 30, 2012) was an Israeli politician and the seventh prime minister of Israel, serving two terms (1983–1984, 1986–1992). Before the establishment of the State of Israel, ...

. Edri held the role until the 1988 election, after which he became a

in the

national unity government A national unity government, government of national unity (GNU), or national union government is a broad coalition government consisting of all parties (or all major parties) in the legislature, usually formed during a time of war or other na ...

. On 7 March 1990, Edri was appointed Minister of Environmental Protection. He resigned the post a week later after the Alignment left the coalition as a result of the dirty trick, during which Edri participated in negotiations with

Shas Shas () is a Haredi Judaism, Haredi religious List of political parties in Israel, political party in Israel. Founded in 1984 by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, a former Israeli Sephardic Jews, Sephardi chief rabbi, who remained its spiritual leader until ...

and

United Torah Judaism United Torah Judaism (, ''Yahadut HaTora'') is a Haredi, religious conservative political alliance in Israel. The alliance, consisting of Agudat Yisrael and Degel HaTorah, was first formed in 1992, in order to maximize Ashkenazi Haredi repr ...

. He then served as a deputy

Speaker of the Knesset The speaker of the Knesset (, ) is the presiding officer of the Knesset, the Unicameralism, unicameral legislature of Israel. The Speaker also acts as President of Israel when the President is incapacitated. The current speaker is Amir Ohana, who ...

between 1992 and 1999. Throughout his career, Edri served as a person of contact between the Israeli Government and

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

Hassan II of Morocco Hassan II (; 9 July 1929 – 23 July 1999) was King of Morocco from 1961 until his death in 1999. A member of the Alawi dynasty, he was the eldest son of King Mohammed V of Morocco, Mohammed V, and his second wife Princess Lalla Abla ...

. Edri also served in several corporate roles. He served as Chairman of the

Kiryat Shmona Kiryat Shmona () is a city in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel on the western slopes of the Hula Valley near the Lebanon, Lebanese border. In it had a population of . Located near the Blue Line (withdrawal line), Israel ...

development company for several years beginning in 1970. The company's shares were bought up by and the Kiryat Shmona Local Council in 1973, and in early 1977, Edri became the CEO of Shikun Ovdim. In 1984, He resigned as CEO and became Chairman of the Board. In 1988, Shikun Ovdim began the process of merrging with Solel Boneh, and both companies became subsidiaries of a new parent company headed by Edri. Later that year, Shikun Ovdim acquired Solel Boneh. In early 1989, after joining the Israeli Cabinet, Edri stepped down as chairman of Shkiun Ovdim's board. Edri did not seek re-election in 1999. After leaving the Knesset, he advised Togoan presidents Gnassingbé Eyadéma and

Faure Gnassingbé Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé (; born 6 June 1966)"Biographie de nouveau pré ...

on economic and mining affairs. In April of 2005, he was nominated to chair the board of

Bezeq Bezeq () is an Israeli telecommunications company. Bezeq and its subsidiaries offer a range of telecom services, including fixed-line, mobile telephony, high-speed Internet, transmission, and pay TV (via Yes (Israel), Yes). The company is tra ...

, then a government corporation. Edri was appointed to the board, but didn't become its chairman due to Bezeq's privatiztion in May. Edri first married a Danish Jewish immigrant named Joanne. The two divorced in 1987 after it was discovered that Edri had an affair with Annie-Claude Amar, the daughter of Moroccan Jewish businessman David Amar. Edri Married Annie-Claude in 1988, and she died on 6 August 1993. Edri died on 22 June 2024, at the age of 86.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Edri, Rafael 1937 births 2024 deaths Alignment (Israel) politicians Deputy speakers of the Knesset Israeli Labor Party politicians Jewish Israeli politicians Members of the 10th Knesset (1981–1984) Members of the 11th Knesset (1984–1988) Members of the 12th Knesset (1988–1992) Members of the 13th Knesset (1992–1996) Members of the 14th Knesset (1996–1999) Ministers of environment of Israel Israeli people of Moroccan-Jewish descent Moroccan emigrants to Israel 20th-century Moroccan Jews Politicians from Casablanca People from Northern District (Israel) Ministers without Portfolio of Israel

Life and career

Further reading

Notes

References

External links