Yossi Beilin

Yossi Beilin (Hebrew יוסי ביילין; born June 12, 1948 in Petah Tikva - Israel ) is an Israeli politician, pacifist. He was a member of the Knesset, Deputy and Acting Foreign Minister of Israel and Minister of Justice of Israel. He was a member of the Israeli Labor Party and was from 2004 to 2007 head of the Meretz Jachad.

Career

Beilin was 1969-1977 journalist and editorial board member at the newspaper Davar. From 1972 to 1985 he worked as a policy lecturer at the University of Tel Aviv. There he made in 1981 his Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science.

His political career began in 1977 as a spokesman for the Labour Party (until 1984 ). In 1984 he was Cabinet Secretary and finally in 1986, Director General of the Foreign Ministry. In 1988 he was elected as a member of the Labor Party in the Knesset. This seat held until the year 1999.

In the national unity government under Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir was Beilin 1988-1990 Deputy Minister of Finance and then in the government of Yitzhak Rabin 1992-1995 Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs since 1995 and Economic and Planning Minister. After the assassination of Rabin in 1995 Beilin, who was at that time as confidant of the new Prime Minister Shimon Peres took the business of the Minister of Foreign Affairs true, before he moved to the side of Peres to the Prime Minister's office. He held until the defeat of his party in the Knesset elections in 1996 this office.

After Beilin had unsuccessfully advertised as Chairman of the Working Party for the succession of Peres in 1997, he was in 1999 in the government of Ehud Barak, Minister of Justice. He held until 2001 this office. In addition, he served between 2000 and 2001 for a short time as Minister of Religious Affairs.

After he had refused a promising place on the Knessetwahlliste in 2003 his party, Beilin resigned from the Labor Party and founded the Sahar movement, which merged in December of the year with the Meretz Party for Meretz Jachad. Beilin was elected in March 2004 as chairman of the party. His political rival for this office was the peace activist and socialist Ran Cohen. This representative of socialist Zionism had taken the view that Yachad should focus more on socio- economic issues and not on negotiations with the Palestinians. After his victory Beilin sat for his new party since 2006 in the Knesset.

Due to the bad election results of his party, he announced the end of 2007, not to stand for the election of party leaders. New Party Chairman of the Meretz Jachad was Chaim Oron. After Beilin October 2008 announced not to stand in the next Knesset elections, he laid down his mandate in November. Tzvia Greenfeld moved according to the Knesset for him.

Role in the peace process

Beilin is mostly associated with the Oslo Accords between Israel and the PLO. This arose from first secret negotiations, which he drove forward as Deputy Foreign Minister in the years 1992 and 1993. Beilin's public perception as a leading figure of the Israeli peace movement is influenced by the different settings that the Israelis Oslo agreement in relation to the. Beilin's few supporters are commonly those who are also of the view of the Oslo process was a step in the right direction. His critics among the opponents of the "peace process" keep him for the wave of Palestinian terrorism in the years 1994 and 1996 and the Second Intifada responsible that followed the agreement. Beilin is often accused of appeasement. Israel's rights required to provide Beilin for his role in the "peace process " in court. Beilin's critics from the left side of the political spectrum accuse him of being responsible for the failure of the Oslo process. He had the key issues ignored and only focuses on political arrangements, while he, in the hands of radical groups was the design of the social and economic framework conditions, which are essential for public support on both sides.

Beilin represents moderate- capitalist ideas. In public, he says very little about social issues and focuses more on his efforts to negotiate with Palestinian officials.

Current Activities

Beilin is one of the founders and staff of the Economic Cooperation Foundation.

Beilin was Yasser Abed Rabbo and besides other also one of the driving forces behind the Geneva Initiative. This is an unofficial agreement on resolving the Middle East conflict.