Yitzhak Wasserlauf
Yitzhak Wasserlauf | |
|---|---|
יצחק וסרלאוף | |
 | |
| Ministerial roles | |
| 2022–2025 | Minister for the Development of the Periphery, the Negev, and the Galilee |
| Faction represented in the Knesset | |
| 2022– | Otzma Yehudit |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 August 1992 Jerusalem |
| Spouse | Moriah |
| Children | 3 |
Yitzhak Shimon Wasserlauf (Hebrew: יצחק שמעון וסרלאוף; born 14 August 1992)[1] is an Israeli politician who served as the Minister for the Development of the Periphery, the Negev, and the Galilee until 2025, and currently serves as a member of Knesset for Otzma Yehudit, following the 2022 Israeli legislative election.
On 18 January 2025, CNN reported that Wasserlauf intended to resign from his ministerial position in response to the three-phase Israel–Hamas war ceasefire proposal.[2] He resigned the following day,[3] which took effect on 21 January.[4]
Biography
[edit]Wasserlauf was born in the Old City of Jerusalem to a religious Zionist family. He became the deputy chairman of the youth wing of the National Union Party at age 17.[5][6]
He participated in the hesder program during his enlistment in the Israel Defense Forces' Golani Brigade, allowing him to divide his time between yeshiva and army service.[6] Between 2014 and 2019, he taught at the Hesder Yeshiva Oz Ve'emuna in Tel Aviv, which he founded alongside Rabbi Ahiad Ettinger. Ettinger was killed in a shooting near Ariel in 2019.[5][7]
Political career
[edit]In the September 2019 Israeli legislative election, he was placed fourth in the Otzma Yehudit list, but was not elected to the Knesset as Otzma Yehudit was below the election threshold. Placed second in the 2020 Israeli legislative election, the party again did not pass the election threshold.
In the elections for the 21st Knesset, he joined Otzma Yehudit.[1] In the elections for the 25th Knesset, he was placed fifth on the list, which won 14 mandates. Wasserlauf was elected to the Knesset[8] and sworn in on 15 November 2022.[9] He was appointed to the Ministry for the Development of the Periphery, the Negev and the Galilee.[10]
On 17 January 2025, Otzma Yehudit held a press conference in which they announced their intention to withdraw from the coalition if the government accepted the three-phase ceasefire proposal.[11] The proposal was accepted, and Wasserlauf subsequently resigned alongside the rest of the party's ministers when the ceasefire went into effect on 19 January 2025.[12] His term ended on 21 January.[4] Otzma Yehudit has stated its intention to rejoin the governing coalition if the deal does not result in a permanent ceasefire.[11]
Personal life
[edit]Wasserlauf lives in a neighborhood in northern Tel Aviv. He previously lived in the neighborhood of Shapira.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "חבר הכנסת יצחק וסרלאוף". Knesset (in Hebrew). Retrieved 12 January 2023.
- ^ "Far-right Israeli government ministers say they will resign over ceasefire deal". CNN. 18 January 2025. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- ^ "Otzma Yehudit members to submit letters of resignation to government on Sunday". The Jerusalem Post. 18 January 2025. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- ^ a b Summers, Charlie (21 January 2025). "Ben Gvir said seeking to retain influence over law enforcement, despite resigning". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- ^ a b פוקס, נינה (2 November 2022). "השוטר לשעבר ומי שאמר "מיכאלי קנתה ילד באמזון": הח"כים החדשים של בן גביר". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Who are Itamar Ben-Gvir's fellow party members and what do they believe?". The Jerusalem Post. 2 November 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- ^ "Smotrich proposes bill to reverse Ben-Ari disqualification". The Jerusalem Post. 19 March 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- ^ Baruch, Hezki (2 November 2022). "Otzma Yehudit member will be the youngest MK in the 25th Knesset". Arutz Sheva. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ Bachner, Michael; writer, Staff (15 November 2022). "As 25th Knesset sworn in, president urges MKs to end 'addiction' to toxic discourse". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- ^ "Who's who in the new Netanyahu-led government". The Times of Israel. 9 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- ^ a b Cohen, Gilad; Azulay, Moran (16 January 2025). "בן גביר: "העסקה מופקרת, נתפטר - ונשוב לממשלה אם תחודש המלחמה"". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- ^ "עוצמה יהודית פרשה מהקואליציה, בן גביר ושרי המפלגה הגישו מכתבי התפטרות". Haaretz (in Hebrew). 19 January 2025. Archived from the original on 19 January 2025. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- ^ "Police detain North Tel Aviv man who put up protest signs against Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf". The Jerusalem Post. 9 September 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2025.