Hammer, Zvulun

Born in Haifa. He was an active member of the youth movement Bnei Akiva , served in the Israeli tank corps. He graduated from Bar-Ilan University , receiving a bachelor's degree in Judaism and the Bible, as well as a certificate of teaching, and worked as a teacher. At the university, he led the student union and was a member of the Presidium of the Israeli Association of Law Students and the World Jewish Students Union.

He was first elected to the Knesset in 1969 as a member of the National Religious Party of Israel . He became deputy minister of education and culture in January 1973. In November 1975, he was appointed Minister of Social Security, but in December 1976 his party left the government coalition, which led to his resignation.

After the 1977 elections, he was appointed Minister of Education, remaining in office until September 1984. During the brief period of the Knesset of the 10th convocation, Hammer and Yehuda Ben-Meir left the MAFDAL and formed a new faction, Gesher, the Zionist Religious Center. However, they returned to MAFDAL two weeks later.

In October 1986, he became Minister of Religious Affairs, and in 1990 was re-appointed Minister of Education. He lost his seat in the cabinet after MAFDAL left the office of Yitzhak Rabin , but after the 1996 elections he was again appointed Minister of Education and Deputy Prime Minister. In August 1997, he was also appointed Minister of Religious Affairs.

He died as a result of cancer, while remaining an active member of the Cabinet of Ministers on January 20, 1998, leaving his wife and four children.

• on the Knesset website