Yehoshua Matza facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yehoshua Matza
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| Ministerial roles | |
| 1996–1999 | Minister of Health |
| Faction represented in the Knesset | |
| 1984–2002 | Likud |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 August 1931 Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine |
| Died | 30 December 2020 (aged 89) Jerusalem, Israel |
Yehoshua Matza (Hebrew: יהושע מצא) was an important Israeli politician. He was born on August 8, 1931, and passed away on December 30, 2020.
Matza was also the president and CEO of State of Israel Bonds. This organization helps Israel by raising money for important projects. He was chosen for this role in 2002 by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Yehoshua Matza served for 18 years in the Knesset, which is Israel's parliament. He was a member of the Likud political party. He also worked as a government minister, holding the job of Minister of Health. Before that, he spent 20 years on the Jerusalem City Council. For 10 of those years, he was the deputy mayor of Jerusalem.
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About Yehoshua Matza
The Matza family came to Palestine from a country called Greece. They settled in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City. Yehoshua Matza was born in Jerusalem when the British ruled the area.
When he was 14, Matza joined a Jewish underground group called Lehi. His family's beliefs influenced him to join. Two of his three brothers also joined other Jewish underground groups.
Early Activities
As part of Lehi, Matza did several things:
- He put up flyers against the British at night.
- He took part in military-like activities.
- He helped hide weapons, sometimes in synagogues.
During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, there was a lot of fighting in Jerusalem. Matza was part of a plan to help Lehi fighters get into the Old City. The plan involved planting a bomb near the New Gate. However, the bomb did not explode, so the plan was stopped.
Education and Career
After the war, Matza went back to school in 1949. After high school, he joined the Israel Defense Forces. He became a captain in the artillery.
Later, he studied law and accounting at university. He started his career working for an accounting firm in Jerusalem. Yehoshua Matza was married and had four children.
His Political Journey
Matza began his political career by joining Menachem Begin's Herut party. In 1965, he ran in the Jerusalem city elections and won a seat on the City Council. Teddy Kollek became the mayor of Jerusalem in the same election.
Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem
In 1969, Matza was elected as the deputy mayor. One of his jobs was to make Jerusalem more beautiful. He helped create many gardens and parks throughout the city.
In 1978, his party, Herut, had joined with others to form Likud. Jerusalem held new elections where people voted directly for a mayor. Matza ran for mayor but lost to the current mayor, Teddy Kollek.
Serving in the Knesset
Before the 1984 elections, Matza was placed on Likud's list of candidates. When Likud won many seats, Matza became a member of the Knesset. He worked on the Knesset Finance Committee.
He was re-elected in 1988, 1992, and 1996. In November 1996, he became the Minister of Health under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He also served on the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
Health Ministry Budget
Matza tried to get more money for the Health Ministry. When his efforts failed, he protested by not voting on the national budget. According to Israeli law, the budget must pass by a certain date, or the government could fall. Because of Matza's protest, Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed to increase the money for health services.
Matza was re-elected in the 1999 elections. However, Likud lost to Ehud Barak's party. When Barak discussed dividing Jerusalem with Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat, Matza took action. He was the head of the Internal Affairs and Environment Committee. He proposed a bill to change the Jerusalem Law. This new bill said that no decisions about Jerusalem's status could be made without most of the Knesset members agreeing. The bill passed with the approval of 84 out of 120 Knesset members.
Leading Israel Bonds
In 2001, Likud regained power, and Ariel Sharon became Prime Minister. Matza was offered a job as a deputy minister, but he chose to stay as a Knesset member.
Soon after, Matza was chosen to be the president and CEO of the Israel Bonds organization. He resigned from the Knesset in March 2002 and moved to New York City.
See also
In Spanish: Yehoshua Matza para niños
