Miri Regev

Miri Regev
מירי רגב‎
Miri Regev in 2020
Ministerial roles
2015–2020	Minister of Culture and Sport
2020–2021	Minister of Transportation
2022–	Minister of Transportation and Road Safety
Faction represented in the Knesset
2009–present	Likud
Personal details
Born	Miriam Siboni (1965-05-26) 26 May 1965 (age 59) Kiryat Gat, Israel
Spouse	Dror Regev
Children	3
Military career
Allegiance	Israel
Service / branch	Israel Defense Forces
Years of service	1983–2008
Rank	Tat aluf (Brigadier general)
Unit	Israeli Military Censor IDF Spokesperson's Unit
Battles / wars	Second Lebanon War
Awards	Outstanding Presidential of Israel Award for Soldiers

Miriam "Miri" Regev (Hebrew: מרים "מירי" רגב‎; born 26 May 1965) is an Israeli politician who currently serves as Minister of Transport, National Infrastructure and Road Safety. Previously she was a brigadier-general in the Israel Defense Forces and IDF Spokeswoman, Minister of Culture and Sport and Acting Prime Minister of Israel.^[1]

Biography

Miriam Siboni (later Miri Regev) was born in Kiryat Gat to Sephardi Jewish immigrants. She attended Rogozin High School in Kiryat Gat. Her father, Felix, was from Morocco and her mother, Mercedes, was from Spain.^[2] In 1983, she joined the Gadna, where she became a platoon commander, serving in the position until 1986. She earned a bachelor's degree in Informal Education and an MBA from Ono Academic College. She is married to Dror Regev, an engineer at Israel Aerospace Industries and has three children. Her husband is from a left-wing background and holds some views opposing her own.^[3][4][5][6]

Public relations career

She began serving as the IDF Spokesperson's representative in the Israeli Southern Command. Regev was promoted to a colonel rank for the position of Deputy IDF Spokesperson in 2002. In 2003, she was appointed coordinator of the national public relations efforts at the Israeli Prime Minister's Office in preparation for the Iraq War. After a short stint (2004–2005) as the Chief Press and Media Censor, she was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and to the position of IDF Spokesperson in 2005.^[5] She served in this position during Israel's disengagement from Gaza in 2005 and the 2006 Lebanon War.^[7] In 2007, she was discharged and was succeeded by Avi Benayahu.

Political career

In November 2008, Regev joined the Likud party, saying that she had been a supporter of the party's platform for many years.^[8] She won twenty-seventh place on the party's list for the 2009 elections, just high enough to enter the Knesset as Likud won 27 seats. At the 2015 elections Regev was re-elected, after being placed fifth on Likud's national list.^[9] She was subsequently appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Minister of Culture and Sport in the new government.

Revital Madar, a Tunisian-Israeli writer for Haaretz,^[10] stated that Regev had faced discrimination due to her Moroccan origins, and her forthright behaviour is perceived as being stereotypically Mizrahi.^[11]

Minister of Culture

Miri Regev (left) alongside Prime Minister Netanyahu, Ayelet Shaked (center) and Naftali Bennett (right)

In September 2015, four months in office, Regev announced a list of criteria that will cause the withdrawal of state funding the following year. The list included the deformation of state symbols and a call for boycotting Israel.^[12]

In July 2016, Regev announced that she would not participate in the 2016 Summer Olympics opening ceremonies, because they take place on Shabbat.^[13]

In her position as Minister of Culture, Regev frequently equates artistic Freedom of Expression with the power of the government to withdraw its funding, using the term "Freedom of Funding".^[14][15] Regev also argued that state-funded artists or organisations must show "loyalty" to the Israeli state. She has called this a "Loyalty in Culture" initiative, and has proposed legislation making "support for a cultural institution dependent on its loyalty to the state of Israel".^[16] She has said the group Breaking the Silence "hurts Israel's image" and accused a gallery that had hosted a talk by the group of "holding political activities".^[17]

At the closing ceremony of the 2017 Maccabiah Games on 18 July 2017, Regev passed the Maccabiah torch to a number of Maccabiah athletes.^[18][19]

In October 2018, she attended the Grand Slam Judo tournament in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.^[20] During that tournament, Regev was overwhelmed as the Hatikva was played in a Muslim Arab capital.^[21]

Ministry of Transport, National Infrastructure and Road Safety

In May 2020, Regev was offered the portfolio of Ministry of Transport, National Infrastructure and Road Safety for the first half of the 35th government of Israel and the portfolio of foreign minister during the second half of the incoming government's term.^[22] She was sworn in to this position on 17 May 2020.^[23] She was replaced by Merav Michaeli following the formation of the 36th government on 14 June 2021.^[24]

On 29 December 2022, Regev was appointed the position for a second time by Benjamin Netanyahu during the formation of the thirty-seventh government of Israel.^[25]

In May 2024, Channel 13 aired a report where the former Ministry of Transport chief of professional staff accused Regev of politicising the Ministry, giving preferential treatment to localities with higher levels of Likud support and to Likud activists.^[26] In early June 2024, the Lahav 433 unit of the Israel Police raided the Ministry's offices as part of an investigation into corruption following the Channel 13 report.^[27]

Likud leadership bid

On August 14, 2021, Regev announced that she would run against Netanyahu as leader of Likud. Stressing her Sephardi background, she stated "The time has come to have a Sephardi prime minister, I think the Likud rank and file must vote this time for someone who represents their class, their ethnicity and their agenda." She also stated that she would not run against Netanyahu. She also made it clear that if she does not become leader of Likud, she may form a new party.^[28]

Political views and positions

Gregg Carlstrom of The Atlantic described Regev in 2016 as "an acrimonious populist, who occasionally draws comparisons to Donald Trump."^[29]

In May 2012, at a demonstration against illegal immigrants in Tel Aviv, Regev said that "Sudanese infiltrators are a cancer in the nation's body".^{[30][31][32][33]} She later said that the quote was misrepresented, and, while justifying the comparison, apologized for seeming to compare human beings to cancer.^[34] In a 2012 interview, in response to criticism alleging that her views were totalitarian, Regev said that she was "happy to be a fascist".^[35][36][37] In 2016, fellow Likud legislator Gila Gamliel called comments by Regev advocating for state control over the content of a public broadcasting company "borderline fascist". Benjamin Netanyahu has defended Regev from charges of fascism, stating that "'there was a tendency within the left to denigrate opponents as fascist'.^[a] It is a derogatory name [used] by the left for its enemies."^[38]

Regev met with LGBT members of her party,^[39] saying that "not only the left can support and embrace the gay community".^[40] In November 2018, Regev expressed support for a law that would allow surrogacy for same-sex male couples in Israel, stating that the coalition's decision to vote against the law was wrong and emphasized the right of LGBT individuals to be parents and raise children.^[41]

Regev participated in the Israeli nationalist Dance of Flags march in May 2023.^[42] In July 2024, after the Israeli military police visited Sde Teiman detention camp to detain nine Israeli soldiers suspected of abuse of a Palestinian prisoner, Regev commented that arrests of Israeli soldiers were "dangerous" during war, and warned against military prosecutions that were "appeasing our enemies".^[43]

Notes

1. Quoting the Encyclopedia Hebraica entry on fascism

References

1. Wootliff, Raoul. "Miri Regev appointed acting PM while Netanyahu abroad". Times of Israel.
2. "Miri Regev's Culture War". The New York Times. 20 October 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
3. "Knesset Members: Miri Regev". knesset.gov.il.
4. "Miri Regev, MK". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
5. "Appointment of new IDF Spokesperson". dover.idf.il. 7 August 2007. Archived from the original on 31 May 2008. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
6. "Minister Regev: "I also shout at my husband that he is a leftist"". mako. 21 November 2016.
7. "IDF Spokeswoman Miri Regev to leave army". Jerusalem Post. 11 May 2007. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
8. Somfalvi, Attila (2 November 2008). "Benny Begin to run for Knesset". Ynetnews. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
9. "Likud list". Central Election Committee.
10. Georgi, Anat (14 May 2013). "The Israeli Melting Pot and Its Discontents". Haaretz.
11. "למה מירי רגב דוחה את ראש הממשלה ומשה כחלון לא?". הארץ.
12. "The new criteria for budgeting cultural institutions". mako (in Hebrew). 2 September 2015.
13. "2016 Olympics: Israel's largest-ever delegation is ready for Rio". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 1 August 2016.
14. "Miri Regev threatens to pull gov't funds from Israel Festival over nudity". Ynetnews. 6 January 2017.
15. Baruch, Hezki (28 March 2017). "New Israeli show a slap in the face to bereaved families". Arutz Sheva.
16. Erlanger, Steven (29 January 2016). "Israel, Mired in Ideological Battles, Fights on Cultural Fronts". The New York Times.
17. "Gallery refuses eviction after hosting Israeli veterans' group". The Art Newspaper. 15 March 2017.
18. "20th Maccabiah Games open with spectacular Jerusalem ceremony". The Jerusalem Post.
19. "Athletes make last medal pushes". The Jerusalem Post.
20. "Israel Culture Minister arrives in UAE". The Middle East Monitor. 26 October 2018.
21. "When Regev cried in Abu Dhabi and Netanyahu in Muscat". The Middle East Monitor. 30 October 2018.
22. staff, T. O. I. "Netanyahu said to offer Miri Regev Foreign Ministry when Gantz takes premiership". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
23. "After year of deadlock and days of delays, Knesset swears in new Israeli government". Haaretz.
24. זגריזק, אסף (2021-06-14). "שרת התחבורה מיכאלי: "נשחרר את התקיעות של המדינה"". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2022-05-25.
25. "Netanyahu hands out additional ministries to Likud MKs; Miri Regev back at transportation". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
26. "'Rot and corruption': AG said ready to investigate Miri Regev after damning report". The Times of Israel. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
27. "Police raid Transportation Ministry offices amid probe of alleged corruption". The Times of Israel. 10 June 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
28. Hoffman, Gil (15 August 2021). "Miri Regev announces run for prime minister: Stop voting for 'white people'". Jerusalem Post.
29. Carlstrom, Gregg (4 October 2016). "The New Culture War in Netanyahu's Israel". The Atlantic. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
30. "Israeli MP Miri Regev Says African Migrants Are 'A Cancer In Our Body' At Tel Aviv Protest". The Huffington Post. 25 May 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
31. Schechter, Asher (21 December 2012). "How Likud MK Miri Regev Talked Her Way to the Top". Haaretz. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
32. Schechter, Asher (27 June 2015). "How the Right-wing Already Won Israel's Culture War". Haaretz. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
33. Nesher, Talila (24 May 2012). "Demonstrators attack African migrants in south Tel Aviv Israel News". Haaretz. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
34. Hoffman, Gil (27 May 2012). "Miri Regev apologizes for calling migrants 'cancer'". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
35. Schechter, Asher (21 December 2012). "How Likud MK Miri Regev Talked Her Way to the Top". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
36. Ben-David, Ricky; Yadin, Nira (18 February 2015). "The Sarah Palin of Israel". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
37. "Miri Regev: I'm happy to be a fascist" (video) (in Hebrew). YouTube. July 4, 2016.
38. Wootliff, Raoul (3 August 2016). "Netanyahu shrugs off charges of 'fascism' as leftist rhetoric". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
39. Regev is a source of pride? ynet.co.il, Evan Cohen, Dror Mizrachi Posted: 12/24/12
40. Mualem, Mazal (20 June 2013). "Likud's Miri Regev Challenges Netanyahu's Grip on the Party". Al-Monitor.
41. "רגב: זכותם של הלהט"בים להיות אבות". Arutz Sheva. 6 November 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
42. "Israel deploys heavy police presence for annual flag march through Jerusalem". France24. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
43. Peleg, Bar; Solomon, Eden; Maanit, Chen; Kubovich, Yaniv (30 July 2024). "IDF Moves Troops to Base Where Violent Mob Protested Arrest of Soldiers for Abusing Gaza Detainee". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.

External links

• Miri Regev on the Knesset website