Menachem Mazuz
Menachem Masus (Hebrew מְנַחֵם מָזוּז; born April 30, 1955 in Djerba, French North Africa, today's Tunisia, also known in Israel as Meni Masus ) is an Israeli jurist, who served as Attorney General in the years 2004 to 2010. He lives in Jerusalem, is married and has two children.
Life
Family
Masus was born as the fourth of nine children of a rabbi. The aliyah took place during his childhood, where the family settled in Netiwot.
Training
He did his military service in the armored corps of the IDF. He then studied law, specializing in Public Law and Administrative Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and graduated in 1980 successfully.
Justice Department and University (1980-2005)
After his graduation he worked for several years in the Israeli Ministry of Justice, where he was responsible for a number of tasks, including the processing of petitions to the Supreme Court. During this time he taught Public Law and Administrative Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
From 1991 to 1995 he served as one of the advisers, who coordinated the legal aspects of Israel's negotiations with Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. In 1995 he was appointed Deputy Attorney General. This office he held for 10 years.
Work as Attorney General (from 2004)
In January 2004 he was appointed Attorney General. In May of the same year his predecessor Eliakim Rubinstein was nominated for the Supreme Court. At the time of his appointment for him a career in the public service was provided with little contact with the policy or criminal law.
Decision to donate scandal of 1999
His appointment brought high expectations due to a donations scandal with him in the Ariel Sharon and his sons were involved. Thus, the Attorney General's office investigated in this a fundraising scandal in the 1999 election campaign was funded by Ariel Sharon. Masus was selected by former Israeli Justice Minister Josef Lapid. His selection and confirmation were carried out without the involvement of the Vice - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert, who both abstain in order to avoid a conflict of interest. Following the appointment of Masus assured that he would pursue the case against Sharon consistently. He stood in the media in opposition to Eliakim Rubinstein, who was accused of moving too slowly in the matter. In the summer of 2005, he complained Omri Sharon, Ariel Sharon's son, to embezzlement. He decided but for Ariel Sharon not to accuse himself and his other son Gilad.
Decisions for Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip (2004)
Masus took a tough stance against the protesters, the evacuation of Gush Katifs as part of the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza resisted.
He assured to prosecute violent protesters. So on August 4, 2005 Eden Natan - Zada had committed an assassination attempt in Schefar'am on four Arab Israelis, with 24 other people were injured. Natan Zada - had given going to want to protest against the expulsion of the Jews ..
Masus versichterte also that he would be arrested demonstrators no general amnesty. A demonstration in the town of Sderot, he had forbidden. Masus was subjected to criticism by human rights groups because he had allowed the Israeli police, violence against demonstrators Gush Emunim in the evacuation of Amona, Mateh Binyamin (Hebrew עמוֹנָה, מֶטַה בִּנְיָמִין ) to proceed.
Decision on participation of Arab citizens ( 2005)
Masus was tough criticism after he had decided in January 2005 that it is Israeli Arabs allowed to acquire land of the Jewish National Fund. He also incompatible with Israel's reputation as a Jewish state was therefore accused.
Decision to deal with Charedim (2006)
Together with the Minister of Education in July Tamir he opposed the bill Meshulam Nahari from the year of 2006, which requires local authorities should support non-state- recognized ultra-Orthodox schools financially.