Yisrael Yeshayahu 5th Speaker of the Kneset

Yisrael Yeshayahu Sharabi (Hebrew: ישראל ישעיהו שרעבי‎, 20 April 1908 – 20 June 1979) was a Yemen-born Israeli politician, minister and the fifth Speaker of the Knesset.

Biography

Born in Sa'dah, Yemen, Yeshayahu was a member of the Dor Daim movement, before making aliyah in 1929. He became head of the Yemenite Immigrant and Eastern Jewry Department of the Histadrut in 1934, a position he retained until 1948 when he started organizing the immigration of Yemenite Jews, including Operation Magic Carpet.

A member of the Tel Aviv Workers Council, he was also a delegate to the Zionist Congress and the Assembly of Representatives. He served Deputy Secretary of Government and communications officer between the Government and the Knesset between 1948 and 1949.

He narrowly missed out on being elected to the first Knesset in 1949, but entered it in 1951 as a replacement for Aryeh Sheftel and retained his seat in every election until 1977. He was appointed Minister of Postal Services in 1967, a role he retained until the 1969 elections. After serving as Secretary General of the Labour Party between 1971 and 1972, he was made Speaker of the Knesset in 1972, a role he retained until 1977.

A good friend of Rabbi Yosef Qafih, he was a Baladi Yemenite Israeli and active in the Dor Daim community, although he was from the Shami Nusach.

Knesset Terms:

• Knessets 1 (partial) - 8: 12.2.1951 - 13.6.1977
• Knesset Presidium: Knessets 3 - 6: Deputy Speaker of the Knesset; Knesset 7 - 8: Speaker of the Knesset
• Govt. Terms: Knesset 6 (from 2.1.1967), Govts 13-14 - Ministry of Post
• Public Activities
• Active in “Dor Daya” Movement in Yemen
• Head of Yemenite Immigrant and Eastern Jewry Department of the Histadrut, 1934-1948
• Member of Tel Aviv Workers Council
• Active in organizing Yemenite Jewry immigration, 1948-1952
• Delegate to Zionist Congresses
• Delegate in Assembly of Representatives
• Deputy Secretary of Government and communications officer between the Government and the Knesset, 1948-1949
• Secretary General of Labor Party, 1971-1972

ישראל ישעיהו ויקיפדיה בעברית

Knesset members website