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Orit Farkash-Hacohen

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Orit Farkash-Hacohen
Farkash-Hacohen in 2019
Ministerial roles
2020Minister of Strategic Affairs
2020–2021Minister of Tourism
2021–2022Minister of Science, Technology and Space
Faction represented in the Knesset
2019–2020Blue and White
2021Blue and White
2022–National Unity
Personal details
Born (1970-12-29) 29 December 1970 (age 53)
Petah Tikva, Israel

Orit Farkash-Hacohen (Hebrew: אוֹרִית פַרְקָשׁ־הַכֹּהֵן, born 29 December 1970)[1] is an Israeli lawyer and politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for the National Unity. She has previously served as Minister of Science, Technology and Space, Minister of Strategic Affairs and Minister of Tourism, and as chairwoman of the Electricity Authority.

Biography

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Farkash-Hacohen was born in Petah Tikva to Michael Farkash and Shoshana Farkash (née Messenberg). She grew up in Ashdod and attended the Amana school in Kfar Saba. She performed her national service in the Sha'arei Tzedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. After completing her service, she studied for an LLB at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Following an internship in the district and supreme courts with Dalia Dorner, she worked at E.S. Shimron, I. Molho, Persky & Co as a lawyer. After five years at the firm, she left to join the Antitrust Authority, becoming head of the litigation team.

In 2003 Farkash-Hacohen became a legal advisor to the Electricity Authority. Between 2006 and 2007 she attended Harvard University, earning a master's degree in public administration, as part of the Wexner Foundation's Fellowship.[2] She was appointed temporary chair of the Electricity Authority in September 2011, and was given the job permanently the following March. She was dismissed by the government in 2015 after speaking out against the country's natural gas monopoly,[3] with the Movement for Quality Government submitting a petition against the move to the High Court. In 2017 she joined Goldfarb Seligman & Co. as head of the Department of Energy, Regulation and Infrastructure.

Farkash-Hacohen joined the new Israel Resilience Party in 2019. After the party joined the Blue and White alliance for the April 2019 Knesset elections, she was given the fifteenth slot on the joint list.[4] She was subsequently elected to the Knesset as the alliance won 35 seats. She was re-elected in September 2019 and March 2020. In May 2020 she was appointed Minister of Strategic Affairs in the new government.[5] Following her appointment, she resigned her Knesset seat under the Norwegian Law.[6] In light of Asaf Zamir's resignation from the government, in October 2020 Farkash-Hacohen left the Ministry of Strategic Affairs to replace Zamir as Minister of Tourism.[7][8] She was re-elected to the Knesset in the March 2021 elections and appointed Minister of Science, Technology and Space in the thirty-sixth government. She subsequently resigned from the Knesset again and was replaced by Ruth Wasserman Lande.[9]

Personal life

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Farkash-Hacohen is married to Oded Hacohen. The couple have four children and live in Jerusalem.

References

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  1. ^ "Knesset Member Orit Farkash Hacohen". Knesset. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  2. ^ "הבוגרים שלנו". קרן וקסנר ישראל. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  3. ^ The Power Sector Head Who Shocked Netanyahu Into Action Haaretz, 4 March 2016
  4. ^ 2019 Blue and White list CEC
  5. ^ After Year of Deadlock and Days of Delays, Knesset Swears in New Israeli Government Haaretz, 17 May 2020
  6. ^ Strategic Affairs Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen resigns from Knesset The Jerusalem Post, 4 October 2020
  7. ^ Thirty-Fifth Government Knesset
  8. ^ Farkash-Hacohen tapped as tourism minister after Zamir resignation The Times of Israel, 2 October 2020
  9. ^ "13 New Israeli Lawmakers Sworn In, Including First Deaf MK". Haaretz. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
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