Member of Knesset Amir Peretz (The Zionist Union and Labour Party) Israel’s most veteran Member of Knesset, member of the Defense and External Relations Committee and the Committee for the Advancement of Women and Gender Equality; former Chair of the Labour Party, Deputy Prime Minister, Defense Minister, Minister of Environmental Protection and Leader of the Opposition, as well as Chair of the Israeli Organization of Trade Unions and mayor of his town, Sderot. His main focus is the advancement of peace and social justice. MK Amir Peretz was born in Morocco in 1952 and immigrated to Israel at the age of four. He was raised in the Negev development town of Sderot. After graduating high school he was drafted to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). After being critically wounded and spending two years on a wheelchair during his service as an officer – returned to his hometown. • In 1983, Peretz was elected mayor of Sderot, and became one of the first to lead a development town in the country, who was a member of the Labour Party. • In 1984, Peretz publicly voiced his support for an independent Palestinian state, leading people to people peace initiatives between residents of Sderot and their neighbors in the Gaza Strip. • In 1988, Peretz was elected to the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), serving in various parliamentary roles and committees ever since. As chair of the Labor and Welfare Committee, he promoted revolutionary social laws including: the National Health Insurance Law, the Minimum Wage Law, the Employment of Employees by Manpower Contractors Law, and the Ringworm Victims Compensation Law. As a legislator, he was responsible for putting social issues at the top of the public agenda. • In December 1995, Peretz began to serve as chair of the Histadrut, Israel's organization of trade unions. In a period fraught with social struggle, he successfully advanced the rights of workers and of weaker segments of society. • In 1999, Peretz founded his own social justice party - Am Ehad (One People). He ran as party chair in 2003 and won three seats. • In 2006, Peretz was elected Labor Party chair, gaining 19 mandates, predominantly from traditional Likud constituencies. Joining the coalition government with the newly-formed Kadima party, Peretz served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense until June 2007. As Defense Minister, Peretz instituted a training program that improved the IDF's military preparedness and led a procurement program to better equip the military. • Despite major opposition and against the advice of most security and defense experts, he took the historic decision to launch the Iron Dome anti-missile air defense system in cooperation with the US government. The system has gained international acclaim and won the prestigious Israel Security Award. • In Israel's most recent operation, Protective Edge, the Iron Dome system intercepted thousands of rockets that blanketed the entire country with a 90% success rate. The system enabled Israel to deal with Hamas, with the ability to decide when to attack, how to attack and in what areas. • In 2011, Peretz ran for the Labor Party leadership and came in second in the second round. • On December 6, 2012, Peretz announced his decision to join the Hatnua Party (The Movement), headed by Tzipi Livni. • On March 18, 2013, MK Amir Peretz was appointed Minister of Environmental Protection, a role he used to embolden the links between social justice, environmental justice and peace and to promote creative solutions to Israel's environmental challenges. • On November 9, 2015, Minister Peretz announced his resignation from the government, while slamming Netanyahu for his foreign and economic policies. • Peretz was elected to the 20th Knesset as part of Hatnua Party. • In September 2015 he rejoined the Labor Party, where he continues to promote peace and social justice. • Peretz currently chairs the Sub-Committee for Homeland Defense in the Defense and External Relations Committee, as well as the Committee for the Advancement of Women and Gender Equality. .