Moshe Gafni facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Moshe Gafni
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משה גפני
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| Faction represented in the Knesset | |
| 1988–1992 | Degel HaTorah |
| 1994–1996 | United Torah Judaism |
| 1996 | Degel HaTorah |
| 1996–1998 | United Torah Judaism |
| 1999–2005 | United Torah Judaism |
| 2005–2006 | Degel HaTorah |
| 2006–2008 | United Torah Judaism |
| 2008–2009 | Degel HaTorah |
| 2009– | United Torah Judaism |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 May 1952 Tel Aviv, Israel |
Moshe Gafni (born May 5, 1952) is an Israeli politician. He is a member of the Knesset, which is Israel's parliament. He leads the Ashkenazi Haredi party called United Torah Judaism.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Moshe Gafni was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. He received his education in a yeshiva, which is a Jewish religious school. Later, he moved to Ofakim and became the head of a Kollel. A Kollel is a place where married men study Jewish religious texts.
He currently lives in Bnei Brak. Moshe Gafni is married and has three children.
Political Journey
Moshe Gafni began his political career in 1988. He was first elected to the Knesset as part of the Degel HaTorah party. In 1990, he became the Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs. This role was in the government led by Yitzhak Shamir.
Joining United Torah Judaism
For the 1992 elections, Degel HaTorah joined with another party, Agudat Yisrael. They formed an alliance called United Torah Judaism. This new group won four seats in the Knesset. Moshe Gafni initially lost his seat. However, he re-entered the Knesset in 1994. This happened because of a special agreement between the two parties. They had a "rotation agreement" where members would take turns serving.
A similar agreement was used after the 1996 elections. Gafni served for the first half of that parliamentary session. This meant he was a member of the Knesset until 1998.
Continued Service in the Knesset
Early elections were held in 1999. This allowed Moshe Gafni to return to the Knesset sooner than expected. This time, there was no rotation agreement in place. He served his full term as a member of parliament.
He was re-elected in both 2003 and 2006. During the later part of the 16th Knesset, Degel HaTorah separated from Agudat Yisrael. At that time, Gafni was chosen to be the chairman of his party's group in parliament.
In the 18th Knesset, which is a specific term of the Israeli parliament, Gafni held an important position. He was the chairman of the Knesset's financial committee. This committee deals with money matters for the country.
Views and Stances
Moshe Gafni has expressed strong opinions on various topics. He often shares his views on religious and social matters in Israel.
In 2016, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Gafni. This was because Gafni and other leaders made comments about Reform and Conservative Judaism. Gafni strongly disagreed with a decision to expand a section of the Western Wall. He stated that he would not accept the decision.
In 2023, Gafni and Ya'akov Asher proposed a new law. This bill aimed to limit the sharing of religious beliefs by Christians in Israel. However, Prime Minister Netanyahu stopped this bill from moving forward.
