Stav Shaffir

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Stav Shaffir
Stav Shaffir.JPG
Date of birth (1985-05-17) 17 May 1985 (age 28)
Place of birth Netanya, Israel
Knessets 19
Party represented in Knesset
2013– Labor Party

Stav Shaffir (Hebrew: סתיו שפיר‎, born 17 May 1985) is the youngest Israeli Knesset member and a leader of the 2011 Israeli social justice protests . She is also a former journalist, musician and social activist. Shaffir was a member of the small group of organizers and unofficial leaders of Israel's biggest-ever protest, focusing on social services, equality and democracy - and would eventually rise to become spokesperson of the movement. After presenting her candidacy for the Labor Party Shaffir placed eighth on the internal list for the 2013 elections.

Contents

Biography[edit]

Shaffir was born in Netanya and is of Iraqi, Lithuanian, and Polish Jewish heritage. Shaffir's mother is a teacher and her father is an accountant. Today they run an accounting firm together in Israel. At the age of 11, Shaffir and her family moved to Pardesiya, a small town in the Sharon area. After finishing high school, Shaffir postponed her military service for one year in order to work with underprivileged children in Tiberias as part of a volunteer group affiliated with the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel. Upon being drafted into the Israeli Defense Forces,[1] Shaffir was accepted as a cadet in the Israeli Air Force[2] and was enlisted into the flight academy. Five months into the flight training course Shaffir was transferred to a new position as a military journalist in the IDF magazine, Bamahane.[3] As a military journalist, Shaffir covered IDF activity including the Israel's unilateral disengagement plan and the 2006 Lebanon war.[3]

After the army, Shaffir was accepted into the Olive Tree Scholarship Program[4][5] by the City University of London where she completed a B.A in sociology and journalism.[5] She studied with a small cohort of Israeli and Palestinian students who were engaged in dialogue across the lines of confrontation and distrust that frame their relations in the Middle East. During her studies in London, Shaffir worked as an intern in the British Parliament as part of the Undergraduate ParliaMentors program[6] that enables students to work with parliament members on a variety of social projects. Furthermore, Shaffir took part in the JRS Competition for Student Journalists in 2008 and was awarded runner up for her piece covering Iraqi refugees in England.[7][8] In 2009 Shaffir returned to Israel and enrolled in the Rimon School of music.[5] During that time, Shaffir continued to volunteer in a number of educational programs, advocated for a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and began an M.A in the Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas at Tel Aviv University.[5] In the past seven years Shaffir has worked as journalist in many different publications, including the authoring of a travel section in National Geographic, a real estate section in the Ha'ir weekly newspaper, and a series of articles for Mako magazine. Shaffir’s latest position was as an editor for the Yedioth Ahronoth[9][10] internet site Xnet, for which she published the first article to appear in the Israeli media concerning the 2011 Israeli social justice protests.[11]

Social activism[edit]

Shaffir was a member of the small group of the founders, organizers and unofficial leaders[10][12][13][14][15][16] of the 2011 Israeli social justice protests along with Daphni Leef, Itzik Shmuli and others. Shaffir would eventually rise to become spokesperson of the movement.

Shaffir won public recognition in the wake of her debate with Knesset member Miri Regev on the television show Erev Hadash. In the months to come, Shaffir organized the founding of over 120 tent camps all over Israel, lead large demonstrations including the ‘March of the Million’, and advocate with members of the Knesset to pursue a social justice agenda. Beyond the many articles Shaffir has published in the Israeli media concerning the movement, she has also spoken to foreign media outlets [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32] in order to better explain the ideas and driving forces behind the movement. Shaffir was also invited to be a keynote speaker[33][34] at the annual J-Street conference (2012)[35] along with Israeli writer Amos Oz, the Jewish Federation of North America's TribeFest,[36] and the Personal Democracy Forum.[37]

In February 2012, Shaffir along with fellow tent protesters Alon Lee-Green and Yonatan Levi, started the Israeli Social Movement in order to provide leadership for the disparate groups compromising the Israeli social justice movement.

In August 2012, Shaffir and her colleagues embarked on a cross-country tour from the southern sea port of Eilat to Kiryat Shmona on the Lebanese border, to listen to activists and ordinary citizens regarding their concerns.[38]

Political career[edit]

Shaffir was approached by the Labor Party in May 2012 to join its ranks[39][40] in anticipation of the 2012 general elections. These elections were eventually postponed until January 22, 2013. Shaffir officially declared her candidacy for the Labor Party list on October 12, 2012.[41][42][43][44]

Shaffir placed 9th[45][46][47][48][49] (moving up to 8th after Amir Peretz's resignation[50][51] ) on the Labor Party list which was announced after the primaries held on the 29th of November, 2012. Shaffir's placement, and subsequent induction to the Israeli Knesset, marks her at the age of 27 as the youngest female Knesset member of all time. Shaffir is also the MK with the lowest net worth, a total of only $20,000. She does not own an apartment or a car, and pays NIS 1,970 in rent as one of four roommates in a Jaffa apartment.[52]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Shefa, Sheri (2.4.12). "Young Jews gather at TribeFest". The Canadian Jewish News. 
  2. ^ "Stav Shaffir Tribefest Speech from March 26, 2012". Retrieved 16.5.12. 
  3. ^ a b Raz, Hila. "The Tent Movement Founder: "If special interest parties take over - the movement will collapse"" (in Hebrew). The Marker. Retrieved 16.5.12. 
  4. ^ "Olive Tree Scholarship Programme Alumni". 
  5. ^ a b c d "Four Questions with Stav Shaffir, Israeli Social Protest Leader". Ameinu. Retrieved 16.5.12. 
  6. ^ "Politics". Interact (1): 7. Spring 2008. Retrieved 16.5.12. 
  7. ^ Shaffir, Stav. "Shall We Dance?". The Refugee. Retrieved 16.5.12. 
  8. ^ "Winners of JRS Competition for Student Journalists 2008:". Retrieved 16.5.12. 
  9. ^ "Stav Shaffir" (in Hebrew). Retrieved 16.5.12. 
  10. ^ a b Pine, Dan (22.3.12). "Israeli protest leaders take new tack in fight for social change". JWeekly.com. 
  11. ^ Shaffir, Stav (11.7.11). "Dream of Living in Tel Aviv? Keep Dreaming". Xnet.co.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 16.5.12. 
  12. ^ Seliger, Ralph. "Young Israeli protest leaders visit NYC". meretzusa.org. Retrieved 4.4.12. 
  13. ^ Chandler, Doug (3.4.12). "You Can Call Them ‘Occupy Zionism’". The Jewish Week. 
  14. ^ Kampeas, Ron (3.27.12). "JTA: J Street and Israel are still arguing—but on friendlier terms". JTA. 
  15. ^ Mozgovaya, Natasha (3.26.12). "Haaretz: Having 'real conversations about Israel' at J Street's conference". Haaretz.com. 
  16. ^ Natasha, Mozgovaya (3.25.12). "Haaretz: J Street founder: Israel paying lip service to peace process". Haaretz.com. 
  17. ^ Lieberman, Tucker (28.6.12). "Israeli Activist Speaks in Boston". The Jewish Journal. Retrieved 20.10.12. 
  18. ^ Eisner, Jane (20.1.12). "A Movement Lives On". The Jewish Daily Forward. Retrieved 20.10.12. 
  19. ^ Lior, Ilan (28.10.11). "Social protest leader tells Haaretz: Israelis won't accept the status quo". Haaretz.com. 
  20. ^ Vick, Karl (28.10.11). "What Occupy Wall Street Can Learn from Occupy Tel Aviv". Time World. 
  21. ^ Donnison, Jon (4.9.11). "Israeli protest over living costs". BBC. 
  22. ^ Kershner, Isabel (31.8.11). "Activists Aim to Revitalize Israeli Protests". New York Times. 
  23. ^ News Desk (11.10.11). "Occupy Wall Street: Stalwarts of Arab Spring offer advice". Global Post. 
  24. ^ Press, Eyal (25.10.11). "Rising Up in Israel". The New York Review of Books. 
  25. ^ Kershner, Isabel (16.7.12). "Israeli’s Act of Despair Disheartens a Movement". The New York Times. Retrieved 20.10.12. 
  26. ^ Cooper, Helene (27.3.12). "Israel Group Adds a Softer Voice to Debate on Iran". The New York Times. Retrieved 20.10.12. 
  27. ^ von Mittelstaedt, Juliane (8.17.11). "Israel Protests Could Boost Peace Process". Spiegel Online. 
  28. ^ "How Goodly Are Your Tents, O Tel Aviv? A Symposium". 
  29. ^ Kleinberg Neimark, Marilyn. "What's Next for Israel's J14 Social Justice Movement?". WBAI 99.5 FM. Retrieved 4.1.12. 
  30. ^ Shaffir, Stav (7.11.12). "Don't Need No Education". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 11.8.12. 
  31. ^ Shaffir, Stav (29.12.12). "You Are Fed Old Wives' Tales". Huffington Post. Retrieved 11.8.12. 
  32. ^ Shaffir, Stav (23.10.12). "A New Generation Fights to Dream in Israel". Retrieved 11.8.12. 
  33. ^ Kampeas, Ron (27.3.12). "J Street and Israel are still arguing—but on friendlier terms". JTA. 
  34. ^ C. Cohen, Zach. "College Students Flood J Street Conference [J Street 2012]". New Voices. Retrieved 24.3.12. 
  35. ^ "Stav Shaffir's keynote speech at the 2012 J Street Conference". Retrieved 20.10.12. 
  36. ^ "Stav Shaffir's keynote speech at the 2012 Tribefest Conference". Retrieved 20.10.12. 
  37. ^ "Stav Shaffir's keynote speech at the 2012 Personal Democracy Forum.". Retrieved 20.10.12. 
  38. ^ Shaffir, Stav (1.10.12). "Israel's Social-Justice Revolution: On a Roll, But Spinning Its Wheels". Al Monitor. Retrieved 20.10.12. 
  39. ^ "Politics Now: Stav Shaffir to Run in the Avoda Primaries". The Marker (in Hebew). 8.5.12. Retrieved 16.5.12. 
  40. ^ "Attempts to Recruit Stav Shaffir into the Avoda Party". Globes (in Hebrew). 2.5.12. Retrieved 16.5.12. 
  41. ^ Lis, Jonathan (18.10.12). "Labor party celebrates flood of new faces". Haaretz. Retrieved 20.10.12. 
  42. ^ Lior, Ilan (14.10.12). "Protest leader Shaffir to run for Labor Party spot". Haaretz. Retrieved 20.10.12. 
  43. ^ Friedman, Ron (13.10.12). "Social protest leader aims for the Knesset". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 20.10.12. 
  44. ^ Ziri, Danielle (12.10.12). "Shaffir announces Knesset run with Labor Party". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 20.10.12. 
  45. ^ Lis, Jonathan (30.11.12). "Veteran MKs lead new Labor list, with several fresh faces close behind". Ha'aretz. Retrieved 30.11.12. 
  46. ^ Pfeffer, Anshel (30.11.12). "The new Labor list: A mixed blessing for Yacimovich". Ha'aretz. Retrieved 30.11.12. 
  47. ^ "Full results of Labor Party primaries". Times of Israel. 30.11.12. Retrieved 30.11.12. 
  48. ^ Goldman, Yoel (30.11.12). "Home > Israel Inside New Labor list brings in fresh faces, party leader says government is ‘blind’ to what’s happening in region". Times of Israel. Retrieved 30.11.12. 
  49. ^ Azulay, Moran (30.11.12). "Herzog wins Labor primaries; Merav Michaeli 5th on party list". Ynet. Retrieved 30.11.12. 
  50. ^ Schechter, Asher (10.12.12). "Labor defector Amir Peretz is the walrus". Haaretz. Retrieved 12.12.12. 
  51. ^ Friedman, Ron (6.12.12). "Amir Peretz quits Labor Party, joins Tzipi Livni’s Hatnua". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 12.12.12. 
  52. ^ Zvi Zrahiya, Knesset's youngest lawmaker has net worth of around $20,000, Haaretz, 04.04.13

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