Ofer Shelah

Ofer Shelah
Date of birth (1960-02-09) 9 February 1960
Place of birth Kiryat Bialik, Israel
Knessets 19, 20
Faction represented in Knesset
2013– Yesh Atid

Ofer Shelah (Hebrew: עפר שלח, born 9 February 1960) is an Israeli journalist and politician. He has served as a member of the Knesset for Yesh Atid since 2013.

Biography

Shelah was drafted into the IDF in 1977. He volunteered as a paratrooper in the Paratroopers Brigade, and in 1979 became an officer after completing Officer Candidate School. He served as a platoon leader and as an executive officer in the paratroopers,[1] and took part in various raids against terrorist camps in lebanon. After he was honourabley discharged he fought as a platoon leader and as company commander in reserve Paratroopers Brigade[2] in the 1982 Lebanon War and ended up losing an eye in Lebanon in 1983.[3] He later published a book about his experiences, "Guf Sheni".

Shelah subsequently completed BA in Economic and English Literature at Tel Aviv University and an MA in Literature and Creative Writing at New York University.[4] He started worked as a journalist for Maariv in 1988, later moving to Yedioth Ahronoth, as well as hosting television news and sports programs. As a journalist, Shelah specialized in writing about security issues and on sports.[5]

Prior to the 2013 Knesset elections Shelah joined the new Yesh Atid party, and was placed sixth on its list.[6] He was elected to the Knesset as the party won 19 seats. During his first time, he was a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee.[4] He was placed sixth on the party's list for the 2015 elections,[7] and was re-elected as the party won 11 seats.

Shelah lives in moshav Ginaton, and is widowed with two children.[5]

References

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