Miki (Makhluf) Zohar is an Israeli politician and long-serving member of the Likud party, who has held multiple parliamentary and ministerial roles since first entering the Knesset in 2015.

Zohar began his public career in local government, serving on the Kiryat Gat City Council from 2008 to 2013 and as deputy mayor from 2013 to 2015. He was also involved in Israeli sports governance, serving on the board of the Israel Basketball Association between 2012 and 2015.

In 2015, Zohar was elected to the 20th Knesset. He quickly rose to prominence during his first term, chairing the House Committee, the Subcommittee for Sports, and the Special Committee for Distributive Justice and Social Equality. He was also active in various parliamentary lobbies, including those promoting sports, Negev development, minority enlistment in the IDF, and the restitution of Jewish property in Arab countries.

Reelected in each subsequent election, Zohar held various leadership roles in the 21st through 25th Knessets. He has repeatedly served on key committees such as Finance, Constitution, Law and Justice, and Foreign Affairs and Defense. In the 23rd Knesset, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed him chair of the Likud faction and chair of the governing coalition, further cementing his status within the party’s inner circle.

In December 2022, Zohar was appointed Minister of Culture and Sports in Netanyahu’s sixth government. Upon assuming the role, he made headlines by vowing not to fund cultural projects that he said promote the “enemy’s narrative,” including those that depict Israeli soldiers negatively or glorify terrorism. He stated, “We will make sure to deny budgets to those promoting the enemy’s narrative. Terrorists and shahids won’t be portrayed as heroes with Israeli funding and soldiers won’t be portrayed as murderers”.

Zohar’s tenure as minister has sparked debate over artistic freedom and state funding in Israel. Critics have warned against political interference in cultural affairs. In response, Zohar has maintained that his aim is not to harm the arts but to uphold national values and unity.

Outside of politics, Zohar briefly drew public attention in 2022 for his and his wife’s participation in the Israeli reality show VIP Winning Kitchen. This move raised questions about Knesset ethics rules limiting media appearances by sitting MKs. He claimed to have consulted legal authorities before the show’s airing.

Throughout his career, Zohar has positioned himself as a vocal advocate of conservative social values, nationalist policies, and loyalty to the Likud’s ideological vision. He resides in Kiryat Gat with his wife Yamit and their four children.

Sources: “Knesset Member Makhluf Miki Zohar,” Israeli Knesset.
Lahav Harkov, “Meet the New MK: Miki Zohar,” Jerusalem Post, (April 5, 2015).
Ido David Cohen, “Israel’s New Culture Minister Says He Won’t Fund the ‘Enemy’s Narrative,’” Haaretz, (January 1, 2023).

Photo: Oren Cohen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.