Yoav Ben-Tzur

Rabbi Yoav Ben-Tzur (יוֹאָב בֶּן־צוּר, born 11 June 1958) is an Israeli politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Shas and as a Minister in the Ministry of Labor.

Ben-Tzur previously served as the acting Minister of Health between January and April of 2023.

Born in Kfar Saba, Ben-Tzur attended school in Netanya, and the Or Yisrael yeshiva in Petah Tikva.

During his military service in the IDF, he served in the Soldier Teachers unit.

He later became a reserve captain in the Nahal Brigade.

Between 1985 and 1992, he worked at the Or Hadash middle boarding school.

In 1993, he became Immigration Co-Ordinator in the Northern District for the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

The following year, he took up the position of Deputy Director General of the National Centre for the Development of Holy Places, where he worked between 1994 and 1997.

He then became CEO of HaMeshakem in 1998, serving until 2008.

In 2001, he became chairman of the Jerusalem Religious Council, a position he held until the following year.

He later worked as director-general of Shas' Ma'ayan HaChinuch HaTorani school system from 2007 until 2013.

A member of Shas, Ben-Tzur was placed twelfth on the Shas list for the 2013 Knesset elections, but failed to win a seat, as Shas won eleven seats.

However, he entered the Knesset on 22 June 2014 as a replacement for Ariel Atias, who resigned in order to take a break from politics.

He was re-elected in 2015, April 2019, 2019 and 2020.

In May 2020 he was appointed Deputy Minister of the Development of the Periphery, Negev, and Galilee and Deputy Minister of the Interior.

He subsequently resigned from the Knesset and was replaced by Yosef Taieb.

He was re-elected to the Knesset in the March 2021 elections.

Ben-Tzur has a master's degree in Business and Public Administration from the University of Manchester.

He is married with seven children, and lives in Jerusalem.