Israeli politician (born 1975)
Ofir Sofer (Hebrew: אופיר סופר, born 1 August 1975) is an Israeli politician. He is currently the Minister of Aliyah and Integration and a member of the Knesset for the National Religious Party–Religious Zionism.
Sofer is a former IDF major and is considered a disabled veteran. Afterwards he worked at the Ministry for the Development of the Periphery, the Negev and the Galilee.[1]
Political career
In 2014, he became secretary general of the Orthodox-nationalist Tkuma party.[2] When the party joined the Union of Right-Wing Parties alliance for the April 2019 Knesset elections, Sofer was placed fourth on the alliances' list, and entered the Knesset when it won five seats.[3] During the 2021 election he ran in Likud list for the Knesset, as a member of Atid Ehad party, using it as a shelf party. On 14 June he split from Likud and merged with the Religious Zionist Party, after the swearing-in of the 36th government.[4][5] The split was not officially approved until 27 June.[6]
Ahead of the 2022 election, Sofer was given the third spot on a joint list between the Religious Zionist Party and Otzma Yehudit,[7] and was re-elected to the Knesset as a result. On 29 December 2022, Sofer was appointed Minister of Aliyah and Integration in the new government.[1]
Personal life
Sofer is married, has 7 children,[8] and lives in Tefahot, a religious moshav in Northern Israel.
He is of Tunisian-Jewish descent.
References
External links