Dalia Itzik, 15th Speaker of the Kneset

Dalia Itzik, MK

Dalia Itzik (Hebrew: דליה איציק‎), born 20 October 1952, is an Israeli politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Kadima. She has previously served in several ministerial positions, and on 4 May 2006 became the first female speaker of the Knesset, and has since served as President of Israel in an interim capacity on two occasions.

Biography

Itzik was born in Jerusalem to a family of Iraqi Jews. She is married to Danny, an employee of the Israel Electric Corporation. They have three children, Ran, Uri and Adi. The family lives in Jerusalem's Ramat Sharett neighborhood.

She received a B.A. in Literature and History from the Hebrew University and a Teacher's Diploma from the Efrata Teachers Seminary in Jerusalem. She received a Law Degree from the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya.

A teacher by profession, Dalia Itzik is a former Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem in charge of Education. She was chairperson of the Legislative Panel of the Labor Party, a member of the Labor Party Central Committee, and a member of the Board of Governors of the Israel Broadcasting Authority and the boards of the Jerusalem Theater and Gerard Behar Center.

Elected to the Knesset in 1992, she has served on the Education and Culture Committee, which she chaired from March 1995 to June 1996; the Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women; the Science and Technology Committee; and the Internal Affairs and Environment Committee.

In the 16th Knesset Dalia Itzik served as chairperson of the Labor-Meimad parliamentary group and as a member of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee as well as the Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women and the House Committee.

Dalia Itzik served as Minister of the Environment from July 1999 until March 2001. She served as Minister of Industry and Trade from March 2001 until October 2002, when she resigned from the government together with the other Labor ministers. She served as Minister of Communications from January to November 2005, when Labor resigned from the government.

In May 2006 Dalia Itzik was selected Speaker of the 17th Knesset, serving until 2009.

Dalia Itzik served as Acting President of the State of Israel, under article 23(b) of the Basic Law: The President from 25 January - 15 July 2007.

Knesset Terms

Knesset 13 13.7.1992 - 17.6.1996

Knesset 14 17.6.1996 - 7.6.1999

Knesset 15 7.6.1999 - 17.2.2003

Knesset 16 17.2.2003 - 17.1.2006 (Partial tenure)

Knesset 17 17.4.2006 - 24.2.2009

Knesset 18 24.2.2009

Knesset Presidium

Knesset 17 Speaker of the Knesset

Roles in the Government

Knesset 15

Govt. 28 Minister of the Environment

Govt. 29 Until 02/11/2002 Minister of Industry and Trade

Knesset 16

Govt. 30 From 10/01/2005 Until 23/11/2005 Minister of Communications

Public Activities

Chairperson, Legislative Panel of the Labour Party

Former Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem in charge of education & the Jerusalem Education Authority

Former Member of the Jerusalem City Council

Member of the Central Committee of the Labour Party (1985-1991)

Member, Board of Governors of the Israel Broadcasting Authority (1988-1991)

Member of the Board of the Jerusalem Theater and Gerard Behar Center (1990-1991)

Acting Chairperson, Jerusalem Teachers Union (1982-1988)

Vice Principal, Katznelson School, Jerusalem (1974-1982)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalia_Itzik

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2002/11/Dalia%20Itzik

http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mk_eng.asp?mk_individual_id_t=8