Zevulun Orlev
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Zevulun Orlev (Hebrew: זבולון אורלב) (born November 9, 1945) is an Israeli politician and leader of the National Religious Party. Orlev, like Efi Eitam, is considered a war hero by the State of Israel and received the Medal of Distinguished Service in the Yom Kippur War.
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[edit] General Biography
Born in Rehovot, today he lives in Jerusalem and is married with 4 children.
Orlev graduated Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences in the Hebrew University and a Pedagogic Education in Moreshet Yaakov College. After the studies Orlev became an educator (מחנך) - a teacher who also educates for values (and not just teaching classes). He later become general director (מנכ"ל) of the Education Ministry.
[edit] Political career
Orlev is a member of the National Religious Party (NRP) - The National Religious Party - and the major political institution of the Religious Zionist Movement. As a Knesset member, Orlev focused mainly on social and economical issues, passing many laws in those areas and winning the best legislator award. He had a major contribution in the NRP's lawmaking record (the highest per members, in the 15th Assembly).
[edit] Minister of Social Welfare
After the 2003 elections of the 16th Assembly of the Knesset, Orlev was appointed as Minister of Labor and Social Welfare in Ariel Sharon's second government. However, the two major economic key positions - the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Interior Affairs - were given to Benjamin Netanyahu and Avraham Poraz, staunch liberal-capitalists in the Israeli politics. Orlev was unable to stop, halt or ease Netanyahu's economic plan which included many budget-cuts and downsizing of bureaucracy and governmental bodies, as well as an intention to sell governmental firms to private hands (הפרטה). As a result, Orlev received hard criticism from some sectors over his performance as Welfare Minister.
[edit] Orlev vs Eitam
Orlev is considered as the leader of the pragmatic faction of the NRP and the main opposition against Efi Eitam - the current leader of the NRP. Orlev and Eitam are bitter rivals - both on personal and political issues. While Eitam is an ideology hardliner and unwilling to compromise for his beliefs, Orlev is a pragmatic who believe in "give and take" compromises in order to achieve the larger goals. While Eitam is "non political" who "fell out of the sky" to the leadership of the NRP, Orlev is a long-time party member with strong support among the "center" members and a veteran of inner-politics.
Orlev accuses Eitam on focusing only on the Israeli settlements issue, although Eitam also accused Orlev not only in backing-out on Gush Katif but also on his failure to take care of the religious services, and solve the social-economical problems of Israel's poor.
Eitam accused Orlev at backing-out on Gush Katif settlements and that by staying in the government, Orlev giving Sharon the ability to remove them. Eitam claimed that the NRP had to leave the "bad government" and not give it a hand in its political and economic plans. He described Orlev as a "Meimadnik" (member of left wing Religious Zionism) and as a "chair-addict".
Orlev replied that the only way to thwart Israel's unilateral disengagement plan of 2004 was to stay in the government and stall it from inside. He said that he is not a "leftist" and if there will be no way to prevent the dismantling of settlements, he will support quitting the government, but while there was still a chance, the party would stay in the government - not only to thwart the removal of settlements - but also to protect other interests of the party - such as education, religion services and Yeshivot Hesder. Orlev said that the NRP must not give in for Eitam's massianic and nationalist zeal. After failing to stall the government, the remaining ministers from the National Religious Party left the government.
Source: The letter of Eitam versus the letter of Orlev (Hebrew)
[edit] Knesset and government record
- 15th Assembly of the Knesset:
- won the award for best legistlator
- Chairman of Education and Culture Committee
- Member of 6 other committees.
- 16th Assembly of the Knesset:
- From 3 March 2003, Minister of Labor and Social Welfare
