We were pleased to invite MK Amir Peretz to join us for breakfast and a timely conversation about the Middle East. Peretz discussed the peace process and Middle Eastern security, his leadership of the Labor party, the political reality on the ground in Israel, as well as a variety of other topics in current international affairs.
Amir Peretz was born in Morocco in 1952 and immigrated to Israel in 1956. He served in the IDF as a munitions officer in a paratroopers division, leaving with the rank of captain. Peretz ran for mayor of Sderot on behalf of the Labor Party in 1983, and at the age of 30 won his first election, serving for five years. In 1995 Peretz was chosen Chairman of the Histadrut Labor Federation and was voted in by a large majority once again three years later.
As a Member of Knesset since 1988, Peretz has served on the Foreign Affairs and Defense, Labor and Welfare, Constitution, Law and Justice, as well as the House Committees, the Committees on the Status of Women and Foreign Workers and the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee on Social Disparity. Peretz established the Am Ehad (“One Nation”) party in preparation for elections for the 15th Knesset in 1999. In 2004, Am Ehad was reunified with Labor, and in November 2005 Peretz was elected Chairman of the Labor Party. Peretz also served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense from May 2006 until June 2007.
