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Zebulun Orlev

(1945 - )

Zevulun Orlev is an Israeli politician, former Cabinet minister and a decorated military veteran.

Orlev (born November 9, 1945) was born in Rehovot during the British Mandate over Palestine. He studied Humanities and Social Sciences at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and teaching at Moreshet Yaakov College.

During his service in the Israel Defense Forces, Orlev fought in the Six-Day War, participating in the capture of East Jerusalem. He sustained a knee injury and underwent rehabilitation for two years. During the Yom Kippur War, Orlev served in a stronghold on the Bar-Lev Line. During the Egyptian attack on the first day of the war, Orlev took charge of the soldiers in his outpost after the commander was wounded. Under his command, his unit repelled Egyptian attempts to capture the position, and he organized the evacuation from the stronghold. For this, he was awarded a Medal of Distinguished Service. He also served as a reservist during the 1982 Lebanon War.

In 1999, Orlev was elected as a Member of Knesset for the National Religious Party (NRP). He served as Chairman of the Education and Culture Committee and as a member of the House and State Control Knesset Committees. In addition, he served on the Committee for Public Petitions, the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee on Violence in Sports, the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee on the Issue of Water, and the Special Committee for School Dropout Rates.

From March 2003 through 2004, Orlev served as Minister of Labor and Social Affairs.

Prior to the 2009 elections, the NRP was dissolved and its members joined the Jewish Home. Orlev won second place on the new party's list, and retained his seat in the subsequent elections. Orlev retired from the Knesset in 2013 and did not run in the elections.

He is married and has four children.


Sources: Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Wikipedia