Politicsשמואל אביטל

Shmuel Avital

Shmuel Avital is an Israeli former politician who sat in the Knesset for the Labor Party and served as minister for social coordination from 2001 to 2002.

born 1951Minister for social coordinationLabor Party Knesset memberLeadership in the Moshavim Movement

Born: 22 April 1951, Casablanca
Occupation: politician
Party: Israeli Labor Party
Education: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Shmuel Avital was born in 1951 in Casablanca

Shmuel Avital was born in Casablanca, Morocco, and moved to Israel in 1953. He finished school at the Eshel HaNasi agricultural high school. He later earned a bachelor's degree in literature and Jewish history at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

He served in the Armored Corps and reached the reserve rank of lieutenant colonel. He worked in agriculture and was secretary and treasurer of Moshav Tidhar. He held posts in the Moshavim Movement and the Histadrut, and was deputy director of the Agricultural Development Authority.

In 1992 he was elected to the Knesset for the Labor Party and headed the agricultural lobby. He lost his seat in 1996 and became treasurer of the Histadrut that year. In March 2001 he was appointed minister for social coordination in Ariel Sharon's government for the One Nation party, and he resigned in February 2002 when his party left the coalition.

After politics he chaired the Mivtachim pension fund. From September 2003 he chaired the board of HaMashbir LaZarchan, and he chaired Maxima from 2008 to 2012. He is married with 3 children and lives in Moshav Tidhar.