Shlomo Hillel

Shlomo Hillel (Hebrew שלמה הִלֵל; born April 23, 1923 in Baghdad, Iraq ) is a former Israeli diplomat and politician. He was several times minister and several years speaker of the Knesset.

Life

MP and diplomat

Hillel came through his parents' aliyah to Palestine in 1933 and later studied Political Science, Economics and Public Administration at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. After he stayed in 1946 as an emissary for the Zionist underground activities in Iraq, he was actively involved in 1948-1949 in the implementation of illegal emigration from Iraq, Lebanon and Syria to Israel. In addition, he was co-founder in 1949 of the kibbutz Maagan Michael and 1951 envoy in Egypt.

Upon his return to Israel he was on December 21, 1952 for the first time a member of the Knesset and represented in this until July 6, 1959, the interests of the Mapai. During this time he was also a member of several committees such as the Committee for Constitution, Law and Justice.

Subsequently he entered the diplomatic service and was initially 1959-1961 Ambassador to Guinea, before he was subsequently accredited until 1963 as Ambassador at the same time in the Ivory Coast, Upper Volta, Dahomey and Niger. After a subsequent use as a member of the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York City 1963-1967 Hillel was finally 1967-1969 Deputy Director of the Foreign Ministry for Affairs of the Middle East.

On November 7, 1969 Hillel was again elected a member of the Knesset and represented in this now for over twenty years until 13 July 1992, the interests of the Avodah.

Minister and Speaker of Parliament

On December 15, 1969, he was appointed by Prime Minister Golda Meir when police ministers in their cabinet and held this function in the subsequent government of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to 20 June 1977. Besides he was initially from 3 June to 29 October 1974 and then again from 16 January 1977 to 20 June 1977 Minister of the Interior.

Subsequently, he was between June 1977 to July 1981 Chairman of the Knesset Committee on Interior and Environment, before he was of 13 August 1984 to November 21, 1988 Speaker of the Knesset ( Speaker of the Knesset) and thus Parliament President.

Hillel was also in 1989 Chairman of the World Board of Keren Hayesod, which was founded in 1921 as a central financial organization of the Palestine construction company of the Zionist movement. In 2007 he was awarded the Shofar of Freedom Award.

Publications

• Ruach Kadim: Be'Shlichut Machtartit Le'Aretz Aravit, 1985
• Operation Babylon: Israel's secret service in Iraq, ISBN 3-7751-1736-9, 1992