Moshe Shahal was born in Iraq in 1934, and immigrated to Israel in 1950. A lawyer by profession, he holds a degree in economics, sociology and political science from Haifa University and a law degree from Tel-Aviv University.

Shahal began his political career as a member of the Haifa Labor Council (1964-71) and the Haifa City Council (1965-69).

Shahal has been a Member of Knesset since 1971, and has held the positions of Permanent Observer to the Council of Europe (1974-76) and Permanent Representative to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (1976-84). In the Knesset, he has served on the Committees on Finance (1971-77); Economy (1971-73); Labor (1971-73); Constitution, Law and Justice (1974-84 and 1990-92); the House Committee (1977-84); and Foreign Affairs and Defense (1990-92). He was a Deputy Speaker of the Knesset and Chairman of the The Labor Party faction in the Knesset between 1981 and 1984. In the National Unity Governments (1984-90), he served as Minister of Energy and Infrastructure.

From 1992-1996, Shahal has served as Minister of Internal Security (formerly Minister of Police). Until May 1993 he served also as Minister of Communications, and from May 1993 until December 1994 as Minister of Energy and Infrastructure.

Reelected to the Knesset in June 1996, he subsequently resigned his seat.

Sources: Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs