Amir Peretz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amir Peretz
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עמיר פרץ
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Peretz in 2007
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| Ministerial roles | |
| 2006–2007 | Minister of Defence |
| 2006–2007 | Deputy Prime Minister |
| 2013–2014 | Minister of Environmental Protection |
| 2020–2021 | Minister of Economy |
| Faction represented in the Knesset | |
| 1988–1992 | Alignment |
| 1992–1999 | Labor |
| 1999–2004 | One Nation |
| 2004–2012 | Labor |
| 2013–2015 | Hatnuah |
| 2015–2019 | Zionist Union |
| 2019–2021 | Labor |
| Other roles | |
| 2005–2006 | Leader of the Opposition |
| 2005–2007 | Leader of the Labor Party |
| 2019–2021 | Leader of the Labor Party |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 March 1952 Boujad, Morocco |
Amir Peretz (Hebrew: עמיר פרץ; born 9 March 1952) is an Israeli politician. He was a member of the Knesset, which is like Israel's parliament. He served in the Knesset almost continuously from 1988 to 2021.
During his career, he held important government jobs. He was the Minister of Defense, Minister of Economy, and Minister of Environmental Protection. He also led a big workers' union called Histadrut from 1995 to 2006.
Before joining the Knesset, Peretz was the mayor of Sderot for five years. He first became a Knesset member in 1988 with the Alignment party. Later, he started his own party, One Nation, in 1999. He led it until it rejoined the Labor Party in 2004.
In 2005, he became the leader of the Labor Party. This also made him the Leader of the Opposition. After the 2006 elections, Labor joined the government. Peretz was then made Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister. During his time as Defense Minister, the 2006 Lebanon War happened. He also approved the Iron Dome defense system, which protects Israel from rockets.
Peretz left the Labor Party in 2012 to join a new party called Hatnuah. He was re-elected to the Knesset in 2013 and became Minister of Environmental Protection. He later rejoined the Labor Party and was elected its leader again in 2019. He left the Knesset in 2021.
Contents
Early Life and Military Service
Amir Peretz was born as Armand Peretz in Boujad, Morocco. His family was Sephardic Jewish. His father was the leader of the Jewish community in their town. In 1956, when Morocco became independent, his family moved to Israel. This move is called aliyah.
They settled in a town called Sderot, where Peretz grew up. He went to high school in a nearby kibbutz, which is a type of community in Israel.
Military Service and Injury
From 1970 to 1972, Peretz served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Artillery wing. He became an officer and reached the rank of captain.
In 1974, he was badly injured in an accident. He spent a year recovering in the hospital. After leaving the hospital, he bought a farm. He started growing vegetables and flowers for export. During this time, he met his wife, Ahlama, and they got married. They have four children.
Political Journey
Mayor of Sderot
In 1983, Peretz ran for mayor of Sderot as a candidate for the Labor Party. He won the election. This was a big change for the town, as it had been led by other parties for a long time. As mayor, he focused on improving education and relations with nearby communities.
Leading Workers' Rights
In 1988, Peretz became a member of the Knesset. In 1995, he became the chairman of Histadrut, a very powerful trade union federation that represents workers in Israel.
When he first led Histadrut, he was known for calling general strikes to support workers' rights. However, over time, he became more moderate. He believed that a successful strike was one that didn't have to happen. He worked with the government on some economic reforms, showing his willingness to cooperate.
Starting a New Party
In 1999, Peretz left the Labor Party to create his own party called One Nation. This party won a few seats in the Knesset in the 1999 and 2003 elections.
As the Labor Party faced challenges, Peretz became popular with working-class people. In 2004, after discussions, his One Nation party merged back with the Labor Party.
Leading the Labor Party
In 2005, Peretz ran for the leadership of the Labor Party. He promised to end the partnership with the ruling party and bring back Labor's focus on helping the economy for everyone. He won the election, defeating Shimon Peres.
After winning, Peretz left his role at Histadrut to focus on politics. The Labor Party then left the government, which led to new elections in 2006.
During his time as Labor Party leader, Peretz made history by nominating Raleb Majadele, an Arab Muslim Israeli, to be a government minister. This was a significant step for Arab-Israeli relations.
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Minister of Defense
After the 2006 elections, Peretz became the Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister. Some people criticized him for taking this role instead of a finance role, which they felt was more aligned with his social goals.
During his term, the 2006 Lebanon War began after two Israeli soldiers were captured. Peretz and the Prime Minister launched a military campaign. A committee later investigated the war and found that some of the decisions made were reasonable. Peretz left the Defense Ministry in 2007 after losing the Labor Party leadership election to Ehud Barak.
One of his most important decisions as Defense Minister was approving the development of the Iron Dome system in 2007. This system is designed to intercept and destroy incoming rockets. It later proved to be very effective in protecting Israeli citizens.
Later Political Roles
Peretz remained in the Knesset and was re-elected in 2009. In 2012, he left the Labor Party to join Tzipi Livni's new Hatnuah party. He was re-elected to the Knesset in 2013 and became Minister of Environmental Protection. He resigned from this role in 2014 due to disagreements over the government's budget.
In 2015, he was re-elected as part of the Zionist Union alliance. He later rejoined the Labor Party.
Minister of the Economy
In 2019, Peretz was re-elected as the leader of the Labor Party. He made a strong promise not to join a government led by Benjamin Netanyahu. He even shaved off his famous mustache to show how serious he was.
However, in April 2020, the Labor Party decided to join a coalition government with Netanyahu. Peretz became the Minister of Economy. He was sworn into this position in May 2020.
Views and Beliefs
Social Issues
During his 2006 campaign, Peretz promised to fight child poverty in Israel. He also supported a market economy but believed in helping those in need. Some people compared him to Brazilian president Lula because of his focus on social issues and his friendly personality.
Peace and the Arab World
Peretz has often been seen as someone who supports peace. He was an early leader of the Peace Now movement, which advocates for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. He believed that solving the conflict with the Palestinians would also help solve social problems within Israel. He thought that money spent on settlements could instead be used to help people.
He also believed that the conflict had changed Israeli politics. He felt that working-class people, who might normally support social-democratic ideas, were drawn to nationalist views instead. He saw a strong connection between peace with the Palestinians and solving Israel's internal social challenges. In 2008, he supported direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.
As Defense Minister, his actions during the conflict in Lebanon and with Hamas in Gaza led to some criticism. However, he is also remembered for his vision in pushing for the Iron Dome system, which has since saved many lives.
Images for kids
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Peretz in 2007
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Peretz at a Labor Party rally, April 2008
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Peretz campaign billboard, Tel Aviv, January 2006. "Ki Higía' Haz'mán" – "Because The Time Has Come"
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Peretz as Minister of Defense (left: Robert Gates)
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Amir Peretz campaigning, July 2019
See also
In Spanish: Amir Péretz para niños
