Nissim Ze'ev

Nissim Zeev (Hebrew: נסים זאב, born 9 September 1951) is an Israeli politician who has served as a member of Knesset for Shas since 1999.

Biography

Nissim Zeev (57) was born in and resides in Jerusalem. M.K. Zeev is married and is blessed with a large family. He is a graduate of Yeshivat Porat Yoseph and was ordained to the Rabbinate. M.K. Rabbi Nissim Zeev served as a Rabbi, Shochet, Mohel and Chazzan in Israel and abroad.

M.K. Rabbi Nissim Zeev began his Torah activities in his youth when in 1968 he established Torah youth clubs named "Irgun Yeladim Lomdei Torah" (Eilat) ( Association of Children Who Study Torah) in memory of the IDF soldiers who perished in the Eilat submarine. Hundreds of students participated in this club in the afternoon studying "Taamei Hamikra" (Torah incantations), Psalms, Jewish Law and Legend.

In 1970 – he established a unique framework which acted to rehabilitate street gangs and youth and return drop outs to suitable educational institutions.

In 1971 Rabbi Nissim Zeev served as a Rabbi and Shochet in the "Ein Haeemkek" Moshav.

In 1974, he was sent abroad as a Shochet and inspector on behalf of the Chief Rabbinate of the State of Israel.

In 1977 – he was sent as a Scholar to Mexico City upon the establishment of the Aram Tzova Kolel to strengthen the Jewish community and instill the values of Judaism among the youth.

In 1978 – Rabbi Nissim zeev served as Rabbi and Chazzan of the "Sephardic Jewish Center" in Brooklyn, New York.

In 1979 – Rabbi Nissim Zeev established the grand spiritual and physical enterprise for Sephardic Jewish girls in Jerusalem, the "Nevat Israel" Institutes – ranging from kindergarten, to elementary schools to high schools and to a teaching seminary to train teachers and kindergarten teachers. The institute serves as a prestigious spiritual and professional educational center for hundreds of students annually. A cultural and health center are currently being established alongside the Nevat Israel Institutes. The center which is in its final stages includes an educational and pedagogic Torah library, a computer room, swimming pools, Mikvas (Ritual baths), and an exercise center for the ultra Orthodox public.

In the summer of 1983, M.K. Rabbi Nissim Zeev initiated the establishment of a non profit organization called the Sephardic Association of Torah Observers and served as its Chairman. The main goals of the association were: The establishment of a movement; the selection of representatives to appear as a political list for the elections for local municipalities and the Knesset; to establish a Rabbinical Committee; to establish educational institutes, cultural establishments and charity organizations. The first meeting of the association convened that summer as an unprecedented conference of the major Torah leaders of the era in the Yesodei Torah Yeshiva in Jerusalem with the participation of the President of the Torah Elders Council, Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yoseph Shlita, as well as Rabbi Shalom Cohen, Shlita, Rabbi Yehuda Tzadka, may his memory be blessed- Head of the Porat Yoseph Yeshiva, Rabbi Shabtai Aton, may his memory be blessed. All the illustrious participants gave their blessings and encouragement for the establishment of the Association of Sephardic Torah Observers and the necessity to establish the movement. As a result, the Shas party ran for the first time for the local municipality elections in Jerusalem with Rabbi Nissim Zeev at its head. The party succeeded in the elections and won 3 mandates.

Between the years 1983 – 1998 Rabbi Nissim Zeev served as Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem in charge of the Welfare Department, as well as Chairman of the Allotments of Land for Public Institutes, Chairman of the Exemption Committee for Arnona discounts. Rabbi Nissim Zeev's widespread activities over a fifteen year period as Deputy Mayor were characterized by sensitivity to the distress of individual citizens and concern for the welfare of each and every individual. Rabbi Nissim Zeev's office was and continues to be the address where multitudes of people found solace for personal attention and treatment of their problems and distress vis a vis the authorities. Rabbi Nissim Zeev left the chair of the Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem upon being elected as Member of Knesset of the Shas Party. Since then M.K. Rabbi Nissim Zeev serves as a dominant Knesset Member who acts through the educational and value oriented views which serve to defend and battle without compromise for the indigenous Jewish identity of the State of Israel and for the welfare of each individual and the entire population.

During the course of M.K. Rabbi Nissim Zeev's activities in the Knesset, he served as a member of the Knesset Committee, a member of the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, the Committee on Interior Affairs and others.

M.K. Nissim Zeev is known as a defender of the Land Israel and his staunch positions against the evacuation of Jews from parts of the Land of Israel. For this purpose, he established the "Knesset Caucus for Israel, Judaism and Global Ethics" and presented legislative proposals to prevent the evacuation of Jewish inhabitants against their will.

Among the laws initiated by M.K. Rabbi Nissim Zeev are: the Law to Increase Child Allotments, Law to Punish Terrorists, Abortion Law, Incitement Law, Law to Recognize the Rights of Jewish Refugees from Arab Lands (Upon the Establishment of the State of Israel), as well as dozens of laws for the benefit of the public. In the 17th Knesset, M.K. Rabbi Nissim Zeev served as Chairman of the Knesset Committee on the War Against Drugs and Alcohol. M.K. Zeev coordinated activities with all the relevant bodies and held many meetings which led to a body of legislation to help fight the incidents of drug and alcohol abuse and to limit it as much as possible.

Knesset Member Nissim Zeev has gained the title of the most active and participating parliamentarian in the Knesset. M.K. Rabbi Nissim Zeev is currently serving his fourth term as Knesset Member in the 18th Knesset.

Born in Jerusalem, he was Deputy Mayor of the city from 1983 until 1998. In 1999 he was elected to the Knesset on Shas' list. He retained his seat in elections in 2003, 2006 and 2009, serving as chairman of the Knesset committee on drug abuse between 2006 and 2009. He was a founding member of the Shas political party,which represents the rights of Jews of Spanish/Arab descent living in Israel,who have been traditionally oppressed and discriminated against in many fields of Israeli life,by a governing ,usually Eastern European,elite,whose offspring tend to inherit their positions of power,ensuring that certain surnames become a recurring theme at the Israeli parliament. Like several other Shas MKs, Ze'ev has courted controversy for his views on homosexuality. In June 2007 he compared homosexuals to drug addicts and suggested that rehabiliation centers be set up for them throughout Israel, saying:

The government should initiate this; these people are unfortunate and we must keep an eye on them to assist them... I am not speaking of a closed institution, but of a center that will accept anyone who walks through its doors... We must set up special teams of psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers who will help them return to a normal life, just like in a drug rehabilitation center.

He also claimed that gay people must be made aware of "how their lifestyle is destroying our existence" and that MKs "propose numerous bills to help barren women become more fertile, but on the other hand we allow this immorality." His basic objection to homosexuality is religious,and is based on Biblical sources,which explicitly denounce certain forbidden sexual acts.

External links

Nissim Ze'ev on the Knesset website