Ya'akov Tessler | |
|---|---|
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| Faction represented in theKnesset | |
| 2019–2021 | United Torah Judaism |
| 2021 | United Torah Judaism |
| 2022– | United Torah Judaism |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1973-06-27)27 June 1973 (age 51) Jerusalem,Israel |
Yoel Ya'akov Tessler (Hebrew:יוֹאֵל יַעֲקֹב טֶסְלֶר; born 27 June 1973) is an Israeli politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for theUnited Torah Judaism alliance.
Tessler was born to Efraim and Haya Tessler in Jerusalem; his father was a rabbi andhead of theVizhnitzyeshiva inHar Nof. He grew up in theSanhedria neighbourhood of Jerusalem, and was educated at the Vizhnitz and Tshebin yeshivas.
After marrying, Tessler moved toAshdod, where he was elected to the city council in 2013 as a member ofAgudat Yisrael, having been a member of the party's religious council. He also worked for theHamodia newspaper as a project manager, and became assistant to Minister of HealthYaakov Litzman in 2015.
Tessler was placed thirteenth on the United Torah Judaism list for the2013 Knesset elections,[1] but failed to win a seat as the alliance won seven seats. He held the thirteenth place on the UTJ list for the2015 elections,[2] but was again unsuccessful as the party won six seats. Prior to theApril 2019 Knesset elections, it was decided at the Agudat Yisrael conference that he would replaceEliezer Moses as the main representative of the Vizhnitz community,[3] and he was subsequently placed fifth on the UTJ list.[4] He was elected to the Knesset as the alliance won eight seats. He was placed fifth again for theSeptember 2019 elections, and re-elected as UTJ won eight seats again. Placed eighth on the UTJ list for theMarch 2021 elections, he lost his seat as the alliance won seven seats. He regained his seat in April whenYaakov Litzman resigned his own seat under theNorwegian Law,[5] but left the Knesset again in June when a new government was formed without United Torah Judaism and Litzman returned to the Knesset.
When Litzman resigned from the Knesset in June 2022 as part of a plea bargain for a fraud and breach of trust case,[6] Tessler returned as his replacement.