Meirav Cohen

Israeli politician (born 1983)

2020–2021Minister for Social Equality2021–2022Minister for Social EqualityFaction represented in the Knesset2019–2021Blue and White2021Yesh Atid2022–Yesh Atid Personal detailsBorn (1983-08-26) 26 August 1983 (age 40)
Jerusalem, Israel^[1]

Meirav Cohen (Hebrew: מֵירַב כֹּהֵן; born (1983-08-26)26 August 1983)^[1] is an Israeli politician and social equality activist. She is currently a member of the Knesset for Yesh Atid and served as Minister for Social Equality from May 2020 to January 2021.^[2] She took up the post again in June 2021.^[3]

Early and personal life

Cohen was born and raised in Jerusalem^[1] to Solange Shulamit (née Pouni) and Saadia Cohen, whose families were both of Sephardi Jewish and Mizrahi Jewish descent; both her parents immigrated to Israel from Morocco as well. Her father worked as a truck driver and her mother ran a day care center in their home. Her family moved to the neighbouring town of Mevaseret Zion while she was at school.^[4] She later attended Harel High School in Mevaseret Zion.^[5] She has three older brothers.^[5]

During her two-year mandatory military service in the Israel Defense Forces from 2001 to 2003 she served in Army Radio of Galatz as a reporter, producer, and presenter of segments on economic issues; and as a newscast anchor.^[5] In 2004 she was appointed socio-economic spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office under Ariel Sharon.^[5]

In 2006 she started studying at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, graduating with a BA in economics and business administration in 2009 and an MBA in 2011.^[5]

Career

In 2011 Cohen was elected to Jerusalem City Council as part of the Jerusalem Hitorerut party, becoming the portfolio holder for youth. She also became CEO of the NGO Civic Trust, which promotes fair business practices, and founded a nonprofit that fights fraud against the elderly.^[6]

In 2013 she joined Tzipi Livni's Hatnuah party and was placed ninth on the party's list for the 2013 Knesset elections, but the party won only six seats. Prior to the April 2019 elections she joined the Israel Resilience Party.^[7] After the party joined the Blue and White alliance, she was given the seventeenth slot on the joint list,^[8] and was subsequently elected to the Knesset as the alliance won 35 seats. She was re-elected in September 2019 and March 2020. In May 2020 she was appointed Minister for Social Equality in the new government.^[9] In January 2021 she left Blue and White and joined Yesh Atid.^[10] In July 2021 she resigned from the Knesset under the Norwegian Law, remaining a government minister.^[11]

As Minister for Social Equality, Cohen was in charge of implementing the government's 30-billion shekel five-year plan for the country's Arab sector.^[12]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Meirav Cohen". Knesset.
^ "Minister Merav Cohen resigns, replaced by Ruth Wasserman Lande" The Jerusalem Post, 6 January 2021, Gil Hoffman
^ "Yesh Atid gov't: Lapid as Foreign Minister, Mickey Levy as Knesset Speaker" The Jerusalem Post, 13 June 2021, Staff writer
^ The Woman in Charge of Implementing Israel's Plan for Arabs Haaretz
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Meirav Cohen: Particulars Knesset
^ The Woman in Charge of Implementing Israel's Plan for Arabs Haaretz
^ "Report: Meirav Cohen joins Gantz's Israel Resilience Party" The Jerusalem Post, 7 February 2019
^ 2019 Blue and White list CEC
^ Levinson, Chaim; Lis, Jonathan "After Year of Deadlock and Days of Delays, Knesset Swears in New Israeli Government" Haaretz, 17 May 2020
^ "Social Justice Minister Meirav Cohen jumps from Blue and White to Yesh Atid" The Times of Israel, 5 January 2021
^ "Gideon Sa'ar, Meirav Cohen resigns from Knesset under Norwegian law". The Jerusalem Post. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
^ The Woman in Charge of Implementing Israel's Plan for Arabs Haaretz