Jossi Beilin

Jossi Beilin

Beilin's signature

Josef "Jossi" Beilin ( Hebrew יוסי ביילין; *  June 12, 1948 in Petach Tikwa , Israel ) is an Israeli university professor and former politician . He was a member of the Knesset , Deputy and Acting Foreign Minister of Israel and Minister of Justice of Israel. He belonged to the Israeli Labor Party , was chairman of the Meretz-Jachad from 2004 to 2007 and is considered one of the most famous exponents of the Israeli peace camp.

Life

Josef Beilin was born into an educated Ashkenazi family. His father was a very well-read accountant for the Israeli Journalists' Union. His mother wrote articles for the left-wing daily Davar and worked as a teacher in Arabic, biblical studies and archeology. One of Josef Beilin's grandfathers had participated as a delegate at two early Zionist congresses . The family lived in modest circumstances, as they were materially impoverished as a result of the expulsion from Europe. Beilin attended elementary school and Herzlia-Gymnasium , after which he became a reporter for youth radio. At his own request, he began to practice the Jewish religion as a child . In 1973, under the influence of the Yom Kippur War , he turned away from religion and from then on led a secular life.

From 1969 to 1977, Beilin was a journalist and member of the editorial board of the Davar newspaper . From 1972 to 1985 he was a lecturer in politics at Tel Aviv University. There he made his PhD in philosophy in political science in 1981 .

Jossi Beilin (right) with Jossi Sarid

He began his political career in 1977 as a spokesman for the Labor Party (until 1984). In 1984 he became cabinet secretary and finally in 1986 director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1988 he was elected to the Knesset as a member of the Labor Party. This seat held until 1999.

In the government of national unity under Prime Minister Yitzchak Shamir , Beilin was deputy finance minister from 1988 to 1990 and then deputy foreign minister in the Yitzchak Rabin government from 1992 to 1995, and from 1995 economics and planning minister. After Rabin's assassination in 1995, Beilin, who at the time was considered a confidante of the new Prime Minister Shimon Peres , took over the affairs of the Foreign Minister before moving to the Prime Minister's office at Peres' side. He held this office until his party's defeat in the 1996 Knesset elections.

After Beilin applied unsuccessfully in 1997 to succeed Peres as chairman of the Labor Party, in 1999 he became Minister of Justice in the government of Ehud Barak . He held this office until 2001. He also served as Minister for Religious Affairs for a short period between 2000 and 2001.

After his party refused him a promising place on the Knesset electoral list in 2003, Beilin resigned from the Labor Party and founded the Shachar Movement (שח״ר, German "Morgenröte"), which merged in December of that year with the Meretz party to form Meretz-Jachad . Beilin was elected chairman of the party in March 2004. His political rival for this post was peace activist and socialist Ran Cohen . This representative of socialist Zionism had taken the view that Jachad should concentrate more on socio-economic issues and not on negotiations with the Palestinians. After his victory, Beilin was back in the Knesset for his new party since 2006.

Due to the poor election results of his party, he announced at the end of 2007 that he would no longer run for the election of the party chairman. The new party chairman of the Meretz-Jachad was Chaim Oron . After Beilin announced in October 2008 that he would not stand in the following Knesset elections, he resigned in November. Tzvia Greenfeld moved up for him in the Knesset.

Role in the peace process

Beilin is mostly associated with the Oslo Accords between Israel and the PLO . These emerged from initially secret negotiations, which he pushed forward as Deputy Foreign Minister in 1992 and 1993. Beilin's public perception as a leader in the Israeli peace movement is influenced by the different attitudes Israelis have towards the Oslo Accords. Beilin's few supporters are generally those who agree that the Oslo Process was a step in the right direction. His critics among the opponents of the " peace process " hold him responsible for the waves of Palestinian terror in 1994 and 1996 and the Second Intifada that followed the agreements. Beilin is often accused of a policy of appeasement . Israel’s rights call for Beilin to be tried for his role in the "peace process". Beilin's critics from the left of the political spectrum accuse him of being partly responsible for the failure of the Oslo process. He had ignored key issues and only focused on political agreements, while leaving the shaping of the social and economic framework, which are essential for public support, in the hands of radical groups on both sides.

Beilin represents moderate-capitalist ideas. In public he says very little on social issues and is more focused on his efforts to negotiate with Palestinian officials.

Current activities

Beilin is one of the founders and contributors to the Economic Cooperation Foundation .

Along with Yasser Abed Rabbo and others, Beilin was one of the driving forces behind the Geneva initiative . This is an unofficial agreement to resolve the Middle East conflict .

Web links

Commons : Jossi Beilin  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Profile of Jossi Beilin on the official Knesset homepage
• Geneva Initiative website
• A distinction must be made between Israel and the West Bank. Also in Europe! Vodcast in the ipg journal.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Ari Shavit : My Promised Land - Triumph and Tragedy of Israel . 1st edition. C. Bertelsmann Verlag / Random House, Munich 2015, ISBN 978-3-570-10226-8 , pp. 345 ff .