Yoav Kisch

Yoav Kisch is an Israeli politician and former combat pilot who has served as a member of the Knesset for the Likud party across six consecutive terms. He was born and raised in Tel Aviv and completed his studies at Handasaim High School in Ramat Aviv. After volunteering for pilot training in the Israel Air Force, Kisch served as a combat pilot and rose to lieutenant colonel (reserves). He later flew Boeing 777 aircraft as a civilian pilot for El Al before entering public life.

Kisch comes from a family with notable public service backgrounds. His grandfather, Brigadier General Frederick Kisch, was a prominent Zionist leader and commander of the British Engineering Forces in North Africa during World War II. His father, Lt. Col. (res.) Michael Kisch served as an engineering officer during the Yom Kippur War, while his maternal lineage traces back to Rabbi Samuel Salant, the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem in the 19th century.

Before joining the Knesset, Kisch became known for his activism related to national service. In 2012, he helped found the “Camp Sucker” movement, advocating for equal military and civil service obligations across Israeli society. He served as a reservist representative on the Plesner Committee, which was tasked with drafting legislation on haredi (ultra-Orthodox) conscription.

After an unsuccessful bid for the 19th Knesset, Kisch was elected in 2015 as part of the 20th Knesset, occupying the Gush Dan district slot on the Likud list. His first legislative initiative aimed to increase public sector employment of individuals with disabilities. Over subsequent terms, Kisch served on numerous committees, including the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, the Science and Technology Committee, and several special and subcommittees. He chaired the Subcommittee on Space and the House Committee, among others.

Kisch has also been active in various parliamentary lobbies, including those advocating for IDF reservists, national unity, economic growth, rare diseases, and the LGBT community. He chaired multiple caucuses, including the Caucus for the Unity of the Nation and the Land of Israel. Additionally, he has led or co-chaired a range of Parliamentary Friendship Groups, including those with the United Kingdom, Georgia, South Africa, Botswana, Nigeria, and Zambia.

A long-time member of the Likud party, Kisch has promoted a political approach that combines free-market economic policies with socially focused initiatives. He has cited Ze’ev Jabotinsky’s philosophy of social justice as a key influence on his platform.

Kisch holds an MBA from INSEAD in France and resides in Ramat Gan with his wife, Hagit, and their three children. Throughout his political career, he has emphasized national service, social equality, and economic opportunity as central to his public work.

Sources: “Minister of Education - Yoav Kisch,” Bundesministerium.
“Knesset Member Yoav Kisch,” Israeli Knesset.
Lahav Harkov, “Meet the Candidate: Yoav Kisch,” Jerusalem Post, (March 12, 2015).

Photo: Shlomi Amsalem / Knesset Archives, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.