Ze'ev Bielski | |
|---|---|
זאב בילסקי | |
 | |
| Faction represented in theKnesset | |
| 2009–2013 | Kadima |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1949-03-13)13 March 1949 (age 76)[1] Jerusalem,Israel |
Ze'ev Bielski (Hebrew:זאב בילסקי; born 13 March 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as a member of theKnesset forKadima between 2009 and 2013. He previously chaired theJewish Agency and theWorld Zionist Organization[2][3] and worked as aJewish Agency emissary in South Africa. He also served as the mayor ofRa'anana (served 1989–2005, 2013–2018). Bielski is a founder ofThe Israel Forum, whose purpose is to maintain a direct relationship between young Jews from the Diaspora and Israel in the areas of education and economy. He also played in the Israeli national basketball league.
Bielski was born and raised inJerusalem. Between 1967 and 1970 he served in theIDF, where he reached the level of Major. He earned a BA in economics at theHebrew University of Jerusalem.
Between 1977 and 1980 he was the leadingJewish Agency emissary in South Africa. In 1989, after coming back to Israel, he became the Mayor of Ra'anana. During his mayorship, he also served as the Deputy Chairman of the Union of Local Authorities in Israel between 1996 and 1999, and as the National Chairman of the anti-drug organization, "Al-Sam" from 1994 to 1996.[4]
On 23 June 2005 he was elected a member of the World Zionist Organization Council as a member ofHerut – The National Movement.[5] On 28 June he succeeded Salai Meridor as the chairman of theJewish Agency. His candidacy for this position was supported byAriel Sharon.[6]
Prior to the2009 elections he was placed 15th on theKadima list,[7] and entered the Knesset as the party won 28 seats. He chose not to run in the2013 elections.
Ze'ev Bielski is married to Caron Sacks (sister of art collectorLeslie Sacks;[8][9] and sister of American businessmanRodney Sacks),[8] whom he met in South Africa. They have 3 children, 2 girls (Adi and Tali) and a boy (Eran).
Bielski has resisted calls from constituents to fund schools that fall outside of mainstream schemes. In 2011, local residents sought approval to establish a Ra'anana branch of thePelech School as an alternative for girls to the city's beleaguered Amit "Renanim". He has been criticized by RabbiMichael Melchior, a founder of Meitarim, a network of pluralistic Jewish schools in Israel that educate religious and secular students together, for his refusal to provide city funding to the local branch of the pluralistic school.[10]
Bielski toldThe Jerusalem Post that Jews in America have no future in America. Due to the size of America he believes assimilation is inevitable, and all Jews in America should move to Israel.[11]
