Politicsגד יעקבי

Gad Yaacobi

Gad Yaacobi was an Israeli politician and diplomat who served as a government minister, a Knesset member from 1969 to 1992, and Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations.

1935 to 2007Israeli Ambassador to the United NationsMinister of Economics and PlanningCo-founding the Rafi partyPoetry and children's books

Born: 18 January 1935, Kfar Vitkin
Died: 27 August 2007, Toronto
Occupation: diplomat, politician, pedagogue, poet
Party: Rafi, Alignment, Israeli Labor Party
Education: Tel Aviv University

Gad Yaacobi was born in 1935 in Kfar Vitkin

Yaacobi was born in Kfar Vitkin in 1935 to Alexander and Sarah, a family with a farming background. He finished high school there in 1953. After serving in the IDF Intelligence Corps, he studied at Tel Aviv University, earning a degree in political science in 1958 and a master's in economics in 1960.

He grew close to Moshe Dayan and in 1959 ran his office when Dayan became Agriculture Minister. From 1961 to 1966 he headed the ministry's Center for Planning and Economic Development. He then joined Rafi, and after it merged into the Labor Party he was elected to the Knesset in 1969.

He became Deputy Transportation Minister and in 1974 was named Transportation Minister under Yitzhak Rabin, serving until 1977. In the unity government of 1984 he was Minister of Economics and Planning and took part in the 1985 economic stabilization plan. From 1987 he was also Minister of Communications, a post he held until 1990.

From 1992 to 1996 he was Ambassador to the United Nations. He later chaired the Israel Electric Corporation until 1998 and in 2000 became chairman of the Israel Ports and Railways Authority. He published 15 books, including books for children and poetry, and died in 2007.