Yosef Burg is Elected to Israel’s First Knesset as a Part of the Ha’Poal Ha’Mizrachi Party

One of two deputy speakers in the first Knesset in 1949, he goes on to become a leader of the National Religious party founded in 1956. Burg is born in Dresden, Germany in 1909. Immigrating to Palestine in 1939, he is active in education and religious councils during the end of the mandate period. He serves in the parliament virtually uninterrupted from 1949-1986. During his career, he holds ministerial positions in health, postal services, welfare, interior, and of religious affairs. And in 1979-1980, serves as autonomy negotiator in the Begin government, insuring Palestinian self-rule but not self-determination.