Itzik Shmoli Comes Full Circle- From Social Activist To Welfare Minister To UJA-NY Israel Representative

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — In 2011, Itzik Shmoli was a prominent social activist and student leader who had fought various battles against the Israeli government regarding rights of Holocaust survivors, rights of all Israelis to tributes received from natural gas fields, and rights of Israeli combat soldiers to receive greater reward for their disproportionate part of the security load. Shmoli could also claim as leader of Israel’s largest student union to have dramatically improved student rights and even provided special subsidies for them when using public transport.

The protests which broke out in Tel Aviv against the high cost of living thrust Shmoli into the limelight and he took full advantage of his position to expand the protests, which were touted as apolitical but criticized the Likud’s governing policies, to all around the country. Shmoli rode to political power on the wave of popularity gained by the media approval of the protests , which he used to establish contacts with government officials and establish political connections. In 2013 Shmoli became a member of the Labor party’s Knesset list and later served as Welfare Minister in the 2020 government. Incidentally he was also the first MK to admit an alternative lifestyle.

In a surprise move, Shmoli recently took a break from political activity after losing a leadership battle with Merav Michaeli for Labor leader. However Shmoli, like other politicians, is an inveterate opportunist and has now found a lucrative job (with an apparent salary of $250,000-300,000 per year) as Israeli representative of the UJA’s Federation Of New York, which is one of the largest social funders in Israel, promoting assistance to soldiers, Holocaust survivors, Chareidim and others who are on the periphery of society and require assistance.

In some ways Shmoli’s meteoric rise from student leader to politician, minister and director of funding allocations for a huge American organization is indicative of his passion and drive to achieve results for social reform. However, far from maintaining the more socialist ideals which he espoused in the public protests in 2011, Shmoli seems to have adopted the more comfortable capitalistic goal of marketing himself at full value. The protesters in Tel Aviv have long since given up living in the expensive city themselves but at least their leader could happily consider living there himself by now.