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Avraham Ofer

OFER, AVRAHAM (1922–1976), Israeli politician. He was born in Poland and taken to Jerusalem in 1933. In 1941 he was a founder of kibbutz Ḥamadyah. He served with the Israel Navy during the War of Independence, becoming lieutenant-colonel and first commander of a Navy base in Eilat. He was founder and director of Tel Aviv's Mapai Young Guard, 1950–61. After managing Kefar Yarok youth village near Tel Aviv he was secretary of the Egg Marketing Council in 1958 and of the Vegetable Marketing Board in 1961 and deputy director-general of the Ministry of Agriculture, 1960. He resigned his government post in 1963 to become manager of AGREXCO, the agricultural export company. In 1965 he was elected deputy mayor of Tel Aviv. He headed Shikun Ovdim in 1967, and also became chairman of the Mashkantaot Leshikun bank. A member of the Knesset from 1969, he headed the Alignment's election campaign in 1973, and was appointed minister of housing in 1974.

In 1976, accusations of corruption were leveled against him and he was dismissed by Prime Minister Rabin but committed suicide before the charges were investigated.


Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2007 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.