Michael Hasani

Rabbi Ya'akov-Michael Hasani was an Israeli politician who served as Minister of Welfare during two spells in the early 1970s.

Biography

Born Ya'akov Kantrovich in Będzin in Poland, Hasani studied at a yeshiva and was certified as a rabbi. He made aliyah in 1932 and was involved in the Haganah.
In 1951 he was elected to the Knesset on the Hapoel HaMizrachi list. He was re-elected in 1955, 1959, 1961, 1965 and 1969. In December 1969 he became Deputy Minister of Education and Culture, serving until 1 September 1970, when he was appointed Minister of Welfare. He remained minister After the 1973 [Israeli legislative election|1973 elections], he retained his seat in the Knesset and continued in office as Minister of Welfare. However, less than a month after the government was formed, Hasani left the cabinet on 4 April 1974. He returned as Minister of Welfare in October that year, serving until his death in July 1975.