Michael Harish

Michael Harish was born in 1936 in Timișoara

Harish was born in 1936 in Timișoara, Romania, as Michael Hirsch. His father held a leadership role in a socialist Zionist movement, and his mother lost her entire family in the Holocaust. As a youth he belonged to Bnei Akiva and attended the Jewish high school in his city.

He immigrated to Israel in 1950, lived in Kiryat Haim and studied at the Ben Shemen youth village. After his army service he earned a degree in economics and political science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he was elected student chairman for Mapai.

He entered the Knesset for the Alignment and served without a break until 1996. He chaired the energy subcommittee and later the Finance Committee, and he pushed for the creation of the Energy Ministry in 1976. In July 1992 he became Minister of Industry and Trade in Yitzhak Rabin's government and also served as Labor Party general secretary.

After leaving the Knesset he went into business and founded a consulting company. He headed the Israel Film Council from 2007 to 2011. In January 2011 he became interim chairman of the Labor Party after Ehud Barak left, and held the post until September 2011. He is married to Edith and they have 4 children.