Ofir Akunis

Ofir Akunis (Template:Lang-he-n, born 28 May 1973) is an Israeli politician. He currently serves as a member of the Knesset on behalf of the Likud party and Minister of Science, Technology and Space.

Biography

Early life

Akunis was born in Tel Aviv in 1973 and educated at Herzliya Hebrew High School between 1987 and 1991. He served as youth correspondent for the weekly "Ma'ariv LaNoar" magazine. During his national service he served as a military correspondent for the Chief Education Officer of the Education and Youth Corps. After his army service he served as music editor of the radio program "Youth Club" on Reshet Gimmel, and on other programs. He completed his bachelor's degree in political science and international relations.

In January 1996 he joined the Likud party and began working in the information department at Metzudat Ze'ev in Tel Aviv. In June 1996, when Binyamin Netanyahu became Prime Minister after winning the elections, Ofir Akunis served as Deputy Media Advisor to the Prime Minister. He subsequently became spokesman for the Likud party. In 2003 he won the Menachem Begin Award for his thesis "Morals and Realism in Israeli Politics". He later worked as a spokesman for the Minister of Justice, and in 2004 was appointed Media Advisor for Netanyahu in the Ministry of Finance. He continued to serve as his advisor until 2008 before being appointed as Deputy Director of Communications and Information for the Likud.

The 18th Knesset

Prior to the 2009 elections, Akunis participated in the primaries for the Likud and reached the 28th place. He submitted a petition to the election committee of the Likud together with other candidates. On 12 December 2008 the petition was accepted, and subsequently was promoted to the 26th place on the list, which is reserved for the Tel Aviv district. Post factum, it turned out that if the petition was not accepted, he would not have been elected to the Knesset, as the Likud won 27 mandates in the elections. Akunis was subsequently moved up to twenty-sixth place, and entered the Knesset as Likud won 27 seats.

During his first two years as a Knesset member, Ofir Akunis served as Chairman of the Economic Committee. He was also appointed Deputy Speaker of the House. After the flotilla to Gaza, Ofir Akunis confronted the Knesset members of the Balad party several times, and even announced several times that as the Likud's representative to the Central Elections Committee he would demand the disqualification of their list and the disqualification of MK Hanin Zuabi, who participated in the flotilla. According to the statistics of the Knesset Ofir Akunis is considered a very active member, both in the Knesset plenum and in the committees in which he participates.

Economic Committee Activities

During his service as Chairman of the Economic Committee, Ofir Akunis collaborated with the Minister of Communications Moshe Kahlon in opening the cellular communications market to competition, including supporting a decrease in link fees and adding virtual operators and new companies to this market. He promoted the consumer cash refund law and initiated the reverse interest law. In the television sector he promoted legislation regulating the transition from franchises to licenses, and initiated the increase of channels broadcast free of charge by the "Idan+" DDT broadcasting service. He objected to the Ministry of Finance's demand to increase radio and television fees, and actually lead to its decrease.

Legislation

Ofir Akunis promoted consumer, civilian and political related legislation, among them:

• Legislation enabling parking at bus stations on holidays
• Legislation providing free water saving devices ("chaschamim")
• Legislation prohibiting cable and satellite broadcasting companies to charge fines for terminating services
• In December 2010 an amendment to the Flag and State Symbol Law was approved, stipulating that State flags must be manufactured in Israel. The amendment was submitted together with MK Shelly Yechimovitch and other MKs
• Proposed legislation requiring a referendum to be held for any future political agreement with the Palestinian Authority regarding the future of Yehuda and Shomron
• MK Akunis is one of the initiators of the "Embargo Prohibition Law", the purpose of which is to prevent any party banning Israel to benefit from financing or services provided by the State, including prohibiting their entrance into the country

Additional functions in the Knesset and the Likud

• Member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee
• Member of the State Inspection Committee
• Member of the Children's Rights Committee
• Joint Chairman (together with MK Shai Chermesh) of the "Knesset Forum for International Relations " lobby
• Chairman of the Committee for issues relating to the Second Television and Radio Authority
• Chairman of the Likud's response team
• Likud's representative in the Central Elections Committee

The 19th Knesset

In the elections held for the Likud's list of candidates for the 19th Knesset, Akunis was elected to the 18th place, placed in the 28th place in the joint Likud – Yisrael Beiteinu list and was once again elected to serve in the Knesset. In March 2013 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed Akunis as Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, acting as the liaison between the government and the Knesset with the portfolio of the Advancement of Young People and Students. As the liaison between the government and the Knesset, Akunis Respond, on Behalf of the government, against Motion of no confidence from opposition's parties. He spoke much about "Prawer plan", the negotiations with the Palestinians and The Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection

On December 9, 2014, Akunis was appointed Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection. Akunis replaced Amir Peretz, who resigned from his post as Minister. The appointment, made by the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, comes a week after the massive crude oil spill in Israel's Arava region. Akunis said that "it is the Deputy Minister's intention to prioritize treatment of the ecological disaster in the south and to do all that is necessary to prevent the spread of the crude oil, and to prevent a health and environmental disaster." Akunis ordered crews to raise the side walls of the dams that have been built in the Arava to prevent flooding. Thanks to the infrastructure that has already been built in the area, the risk that the oil will reach the Gulf of Eilat has significantly dropped. Akunis has instructed that the reserve remain closed as long as high values of pollutants are still registered in air quality tests. In the end of December, The government approved a NIS 17 million Environment Ministry plan to rehabilitate. According to Akunis, the NIS 17 million program will serve to treat the soils contaminated by the spill as well as help restore the wildlife populations damaged over the course of the event. As part of the plan, a special team will be appointed to evaluate the environmental impact of various Eilat-Ashkelon Pipeline Company activities on both dry land and beaches. The approved plan also involves opening a closed Eilat beach on EAPC-owned property to the city's residents and visitors. In January 2015, Air quality tests found that there has been a 90% reduction of pollution in Evrona.

"Computer for Every Child"

For his own request, Akunis was appointed by Binyamin Netanyahu to lead the 'Computer for Every Child' project. He said that "This is one of the most important social projects taking place in Israel," and added "that reducing the technological gaps is a critical element in reducing social disparities." Akunis promised that he will work to "promote, strengthen and upgrade" the project. During 2013, the project has been upgraded from "Computer for Every Child" to "Tablet for Every Child" and Tablets Distributed to Children of Sderot, Ofakim, Lod etc. In October 2014, Akunis announced that the government had allocated NIS 1.8 million to provide tablets for each and every child living in the south.

The 20th Knesset

Prior to the 2015 elections, Akunis participated in the primaries for the Likud and reached the 15th place.

On May 15, 2015 Akunis was sworn in as a Minister in the 34th Government of Israel.

On August 27, 2015 Akunis was appointed Ministry of Science, Technology and Space replacing Danny Danon who was appointed Israel's envoy to the United Nations.

Opinions

MK Akunis has mentioned many times that he operates in the spirit of the late Menachem Begin. When commencing his function as Chairman of the Economic Committee he committed himself to a "free economy with social sensitivity", which is the basis of the Likud's outlook. He supports the concept of decreasing direct and indirect taxes imposed on the public. Akunis is also of the opinion that one of the ways to reduce prices is to abolish monopolies and duopolies, breaking up centralizations and encouraging competition in the Israeli market, also by reducing custom fees on imported products. His views on political and security issues place Akunis in the right wing of the Likud: he is opposed to the formula "two states for two nations" and perceives the Palestinians as an obstacle for peace in the Middle East. In the past he has proposed a 20 year long-term intermediate settlement, so that "the Palestinians born now will not be educated on the narrative of the right of return to Acre, Ramla, Lod, Jaffa and Ashkelon". Akunis is opposed to relinquishing the Occupied Territories and supports settlement in all parts of the country "with no disparity between the Golan, the Galil, the Negev or Yehuda and Shomron". Akunis believes that Israel has the historical and moral right to the territory under Israeli control, according to the teachings of Jabotinsky, "All Mine". MK Akunis supports the strategic alliance between Israel and the United States, but mentioned more than once that Israel is an independent State in its decisions. He has expressed support of the peace agreements with Jordan and Egypt.

Akunis, who sponsored the bill to limit foreign funding to Israeli human rights organization, stood behind Senator Joseph's McCarthy's actions in the 1950s. Speaking on December 5 on the "London and Kirshenbaum" television show on Israel's Channel 10, Akunis referenced Mccarthy– who in the 1950s presided over a committee that investigated Americans suspected of harboring Communist views – said "was right in every word, the fact is -there were Soviet agents.

On September 3, 2015, Akunis, who was responsible for the state broadcasting legislation, submitted and defended the clause barring journalists from the IBA from expressing their opinions on-air. After wide public protest and Prime-minister Netanyahu's retreat from supporting the clause, Akunis immediately gave in his responsibility and resigned.

Personal life

Ofir Akunis is married to Adi and father of their two children. He is a resident of Tel Aviv-Jaffa.

External links

• Ofir Akunis on the Knesset website