Yaakov Litzman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yaakov Litzman
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| Ministerial roles | |
| 2015–2017 | Minister of Health |
| 2019–2020 | Minister of Health |
| 2020–2021 | Minister of Housing & Construction |
| Faction represented in the Knesset | |
| 1999–2005 | United Torah Judaism |
| 2005–2006 | Agudat Yisrael |
| 2006–2008 | United Torah Judaism |
| 2008–2009 | Agudat Yisrael |
| 2009–2021 | United Torah Judaism |
| 2021–2022 | United Torah Judaism |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 September 1948 Allied-occupied Germany |
Yaakov Noach Litzman (Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב נָח לִיצְמָן, born 2 September 1948) is an Israeli politician and former government minister. A follower of the Ger Hasidic dynasty, he heads Agudat Yisrael, part of the United Torah Judaism alliance, in the Knesset. He previously served as Minister of Health and Minister of Housing and Construction. He was a Member of Knesset from 1999 - 2022.
Contents
Biography
Litzman was born to Holocaust survivors from Poland, in a displaced persons camp in Allied-occupied Germany. When he was two years old, the family immigrated to the United States, settling in Brooklyn, first in the East New York section and then to the Borough Park, where he grew up. In 1966, at age 17, he immigrated to Israel, and continued his Torah studies.
Litzman is married, has five children, and lives in Jerusalem.
Pedagogic career
His first job was as principal of the Hasidic Beis Yaakov girls' school in Jerusalem.
Political career
Early Days
Litzman became active in politics under the guidance of the then-Gerrer Rebbe, Rabbi Simcha Binem Alter. Over time, Litzman became known as the rebbe's right-hand man, a role he continues under the present Gerrer Rebbe, Rabbi Yaakov Arye Alter.
Litzman was an assistant to the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, Moshe Ze'ev Feldman until 1989. He was also an advisor to Member of Knesset Avraham Yosef Shapira.
Member of the Knesset
In 1999 he joined the Agudat Yisrael faction of the United Torah Judaism list for the Knesset elections that year. He was subsequently elected, and became Chairman of the Finance Committee.
In the years 2001-2003 and again in the years 2005-2007, he served as the chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee. During his tenure, he initiated several laws, including the Law on Unique Cultural Educational Institutions and the law granting exemption to synagogues, mosques, churches and khalwats from paying lease fees to the Israel Land Administration.
Member of Government Coalition
In the elections of 2009, Litzman was placed first on the list of United Torah Judaism, however, after being elected, he was not given the chairmanship of the finance committee as before, due to opposition from members of his faction. Instead he was appointed Deputy Minister of Health. At the same time, he ceased to be the chairman of the United Torah Judaism faction, and was replaced by Member of Knesset Menachem Eliezer Moses.
In 2015 he returned to serve as Deputy Minister of Health (Acting Minister). In August 2015 , following a petition filed by the Yesh Atid party, the Supreme Court of Justice ruled that Litzman could not serve as a deputy minister in the capacity of a minister and must be appointed as a minister. Following this, the Council of Torah Elders of Agudath Israel decided to change a previous decision of the council according to which members of the Knesset on behalf of Agudat Israel would not hold ministerial positions and allowed Litzman to be appointed Minister of Health. As a result, the government decided to appoint him Minister of Health.
In 2017, Litzman announced his resignation from the government, due to the continuation of Israel Railways work on Shabbat. In 2018, the Knesset approved an amendment making it possible for Litzman to return to the position of Deputy Minister of Health. He officially returned to serve as Minister of Health in 2019.
In 2020 he was appointed at his request to the Minister of Construction and Housing.
In 2021, Litzman announced his retirement and desire to run in forthcoming elections.
In 2022, following the plea agreement in the Malka Leifer case, Litzman announced that he was resigning from the Knesset.
Minister of Health
In 2016 Litzman ordered Israel to reinstate fluoridation of Israeli drinking water. Fluoride had been added to tap water since the 1970s, but removed by his predecessor in the Ministry of Health Yael German. Litzman stated it was "important act to advance dental health in Israel.” German criticized him and petitioned the Supreme Court to stop the reinstatement. He also rescinded German's order to cancel free dental care for children and expanded dental coverage.
On multiple occasion, Litzman would make surprise visits to hospitals to check on their efficiency and conditions. In one instance, the Jerusalem Post reported he intervened in a hospital to sit with a 100-year-old man until hospital staff treated him. In a 2010 visit to Kfar Shaul Mental Health Center, he ordered the ministry to find a solution to lack of space.
During his tenure, mental health benefits was transferred from the clinics to the health funds. In 2019, in light of long waits for treatment, there was an exchange of accusations between the Ministries of Health and Finance regarding an additional budget that was supposed to reach the Ministry of Health for the budgeting of the reform.
In 2016, Litzman announced reforms hospital cafeterias allowing for discount food stores such as Cofix to operate on the premises. Food vending machines were installed at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.
In 2016 he opposed government recognition for mikvahs run by the Reform and Conservative movements.
In 2016 he voted against a series of gay rights bills.
In 2016, Litzman began a campaign against junk food, using McDonald's as an example. McDonald's countered by stating that for the past ten years, they have been refining their menus and ingredients to make their food healthier.
During the 2018 measles outbreak, Litzman was a stanch support of vaccines, calling them the "cornerstone of the prevention of dangerous infectious diseases." He called for taking measures against parents who refuse to vaccinate their children before sending them to school.
In the runup to the 2021 Israeli legislative election, it was announced that Moshe Gafni would replace Litzman as leader of UTJ in the following Knesset. After the election and with the swearing in of the Thirty-sixth government of Israel, UTJ found itself in opposition for the first time since 2015. For the first time in his political career, he was not chair of a Knesset committee, a minister or deputy minister, or leader of a party. He announced in December 2021 that he would not run for reelection to the Knesset, citing his advanced age.
Litzman resigned from the Knesset in June 2022.
When coronavirus came to Israel in 2020, Litzman supported social distancing and masks. "The mask is an important measure for personal protection, for preventing the spread of the virus and becoming infected with it," Litzman stated. In the early days of the pandemic, debate raged in Israel as to whether the government would ban public protests and attending synagogues, with religious Jews, like Litzman, complaining that they were targeted unfairly, while secular protesters were allowed to congregate. Litzman was accused of violating his own rules when he allegedly attending group prayer services just days before he was diagnosed with COVID-19 himself. He was the first Israeli elected official to be diagnosed with COVID-19. He advocated the use of COVID-19 vaccines. He was criticized by fellow elected officials and the many in the public for the Health Ministry's handling of the pandemic.
See also
In Spanish: Yaakov Litzman para niños
