Shaul Yahalom

Shaul Yahalom was born in 1947 in Tel Aviv

Shaul Yahalom was born in Tel Aviv on 27 September 1947, during the Mandate era. He attended Zeitlin High School. As a high school student in the 1960s he headed the Religious Youth Parliament in Tel Aviv.

He served in the IDF from 1966 to 1969. He then studied education and economics at Bar-Ilan University for a BA. He later completed a master's degree in education at Ariel University.

After his studies he worked as a journalist. He was on the first board of the Israeli Volunteer Association, which set up national service in Israel, and from 1974 he was its secretary. He became the National Religious Party's political secretary, a post he held until 1995, and chaired the board of the HaTzofe newspaper.

He was elected to the Knesset in 1992 and chaired the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee in the 14th Knesset. In 1998 he became Minister of Transportation, and he was later Deputy Minister of Education. He passed laws on equal rights for people with disabilities and on euthanasia, and he lost his seat in the 2006 elections.

After leaving the Knesset he became a director at Africa Israel Residences and joined the board of Ariel University. He heads the weekly Matzav Haruach, where he is chief editor and food critic. He is married and has 4 children.