Uriel Lynn


Uriel Lynn is an attorney and the President of the Tel Aviv and Central Israel Chamber of Commerce, as well as the President of the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce. He previously served as a member of the Knesset, the Director of the Israeli-North American Investment Authority, the Director of State Revenue, the Director-General of the Israeli Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, and the Chairperson of the Executive Council of the Israel National Road Safety Authority. Lynn is also actively involved in matters related to Israeli business and public policy. Additionally, he formerly served as a board member of several public companies and as an arbitrator in various domestic and international arbitrations.

Biography

Lynn was born Uriel Assoulin in the Old City of Jerusalem to Yehonatan Assoulin, who immigrated to Israel from Morocco, and Margalit Chazan, who was born in Israel. His maternal grandfather, Rabbi Ben-Zion Mordechai Chazan, was one of the founders and gabbai of the Porat Yosef Yeshiva in Jerusalem, and officially handed over the Old City of Jerusalem. He was also the person chosen to deliver the Old City's Jewish Quarter's instrument of surrender to Transjordanian Legion Commander and Military Governor of the Old City of Jerusalem, Abdullah Tal, on 28 May 1948, during the Israeli War of Independence.
Lynn was educated at a secular institution for army children in Bnei Brak, followed by the Meir Shfeya and Ben Shemen Youth Villages. Before his mandatory military service, he also studied at the Haifa Marine School. At the age of 17, he enlisted in the IDF, serving in the 7th Armored Brigade of the Israel Defense Forces, and was honorably discharged from mandatory service in 1954. He later participated in three wars as a member of the IDF Reserves: the Sinai War of 1956, the Six-Day War of 1967, and the Yom Kippur War of 1973.
Lynn studied Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem from 1956 to 1958, and was awarded a Master of Laws degree summa cum laude. He later continued his legal studies at the University of California, Berkeley, from 1961 to 1963, earning an additional Master of Laws degree.
Upon completing his studies at UC Berkeley, Lynn served as the Director of West Coast Operations for the Jewish National Fund's fundraising organization. After returning to Israel, he practiced law, initially specializing in road traffic accident cases. He later transitioned to the private business sector, serving as General Counsel and company secretary ATA Textiles Ltd., as well as a Director of the Jerusalem Jersey textile company.
Lynn served as a board member of several public and state-owned companies, including the Israel Electric Corporation, Israel Chemicals Ltd., Israel Petrochemical Enterprises Ltd., Gadot Biochemical Industries Ltd., and ZIM. He also served as the Board Chair of Naphtha Israel Petroleum Corporation Ltd.
In addition, since 1972, Lynn has been publishing articles in all major Israeli press outlets on topics related to economics, social affairs, and the law.

Beginning of involvement in public affairs

Lynn joined the Israeli Liberal Party in 1973, and was elected a member of its National Executive Body two years later. Following the political upheaval of 1977, Finance Minister Simcha Erlich appointed him as the Ministry of Finance's representative and director of the Israeli-North American Investment Authority. Lynn reorganized the Authority's operations, setting its primary objective as attracting American companies—particularly high-tech firms—to the Israeli market. During his tenure, National Semiconductor, for example, decided to establish a production plant in Herzliya. Additionally, Lynn played a key role in assisting Elron Electronic Industries Ltd., an Israeli high-tech company, in securing its first significant fundraising campaign. In 1979, Lynn returned to Israel and was appointed Director of State Revenue.

Director of State Revenue

As Director of State Revenue, Lynn was responsible for overseeing the Ministry of Finance's Income tax, Customs, and VAT Divisions. During his three-and-a-half-year tenure, he aimed to simplify Israel's tax system and improve its efficiency to encourage the payment of fair and accurate taxes. His initiatives led to the cancellation or reduction of 11 taxes, including:
  • An exemption from land appreciation tax on the sale of residential apartments.
  • The cancellation of property tax for all types of structures, including residential, industrial, commercial, and service-related buildings.
  • The elimination of estate tax.
  • A reduction in purchase tax for durable household goods such as ovens, refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, and small vehicles.
  • A reduction in purchase taxes for raw materials and consumer goods.
  • A reduction in employer loan taxes.
  • A reduction in service purchase tax.
  • A reduction in employer tax in the industrial, tourism, and agricultural sectors.
  • The cancellation of business tax.
Additionally Lynn opposed government efforts to reinstate the travel tax, which was only reintroduced after his tenure ended.
He also unified and simplified the tax law enforcement system and expanded the use of the tax deduction at source methodology.

Activities at the Israeli Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure

Lynn was appointed Director-General of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure in 1982 and served in this role until the elections for the 11th Knesset in July 1984. Between 1982 and 1984, Israel faced significant challenges in procuring crude oil, relying solely on high-cost supplies from Egypt and Mexico. As Director-General, Lynn played a key role in shaping a policy that promoted the construction of coal-fired power plants—a policy later adopted by the Israel Electric Corporation. He also spearheaded the rapid transition of power plants from fuel-oil-based to coal-based electricity generation, a more cost-effective and readily available energy source. As a result, Israel's three 350 MW power plants were converted to coal-fired operations, and the Hadera Marine Coal Port was constructed to receive coal shipments directly from the pier without causing environmental pollution.
Additionally, the Ministry invested in the development of alternative energy sources. One notable initiative was a government grant awarded to the Bronicki family for the development of solar ponds in the Jericho region, contributing to the growth of the Ormat company and advancing solar and biomass energy projects.
Within two months of his appointment, Lynn implemented a transition to a new Load/Time-based tariff structure, also known as TAOZ, for the Israel Electric Corporation. This new system was designed to balance the national electric grid's load, encourage electricity consumption during off-peak hours, and discourage usage during peak-load periods. Lynn also worked closely with Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Yitzhak Moda'i to introduce competition among the major fuel companies, which had previously operated under a pre-determined market segmentation system and a pricing formula dictated by the Ministries of Finance and Energy.
During his tenure as Director-General, Lynn was also involved in the decision to halt the Red Sea–Dead Sea Water Conveyance project due to its marginal contribution to the national electric grid. He was also involved in discussions regarding the potential development of an Israeli nuclear-powered electricity plant.
In 1983, Lynn decided to run for Mayor of Haifa, prompting the government to consider an amendment allowing him to do so. However, after realizing that he would not secure sufficient support from his colleagues in the Liberal Party, he withdrew from the race and remained in his role as Director-General.

Activities in the Knesset

Lynn was elected to the 11th Knesset as part of the Liberal wing of the Likud parliamentary group and began his tenure as a Member of Knesset in 1984. During his time in the Knesset, he served as a member of the Economic Affairs Committee and the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee. He also held leadership roles as Chair of the Road Safety Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on Energy.
As Deputy Chairperson of the Economic Affairs Committee, Lynn played a key role in facilitating the passage of significant economic legislation, including the Antitrust Law. He was also actively involved in the deliberations and drafting of Amendment No. 4 of the Telecommunications Law —the first law regulating cable and satellite television broadcasts in Israel. This legislation, later renamed in 2002 as the Communications Law, laid the foundation for Israel's modern broadcasting regulations.
As an active member of the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee, Lynn contributed to the development of numerous laws, including the Basic Law: The State Comptroller and a reformulation of sexual offense legislation.
In 1988, he was re-elected to the 12th Knesset, serving as an MK until 1992. During this period, he was appointed Chairperson of the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee, where he spearheaded multiple legal reforms. Under his leadership, the committee passed approximately 95 new laws, nearly half of which were private bills. Many of these laws introduced constitutional changes and reforms to Israel's political system.
Among other legislative achievements, Lynn led the passage of the following key laws:
  • Amendment No. 37 to the Penal Law : Modified the principles of self-defense in Israeli law, allowing individuals who are unlawfully attacked and at risk of harm to their life, liberty, bodily integrity, property, or dignity to defend themselves and transfer the risk to their assailant.
  • : Established regulations to prevent environmental damage and ensure accountability for environmental hazards.
  • : Incorporated the Hague Convention's provisions into Israeli law, facilitating the return of abducted children to their country of habitual residence.
  • Abolition of Censorship on Plays : Suspended the validity of the Public Play Ordinance, effectively eliminating state censorship of theatrical performances.
  • Bail Release Law – Amendment No. 5 to the Criminal Procedure Ordinance: Streamlined the bail process, allowing suspects to be released without requiring a court appearance. Before this amendment, all suspects had to be brought before a judge before being granted bail.
  • Medical confidentiality Retention Law: Eliminated the requirement for civil servants to sign a blanket waiver of medical confidentiality, protecting their personal health information.
  • : Before this amendment, civil servants could vote in party institutions that determined Knesset and government representatives, allowing them to accumulate political power that could be abused in their relationships with MKs and ministers. The amendment barred civil servants from participating in such elections, preventing potential conflicts of interest.
  • Amendment No. 17 to the Israel Bar Association Act : Allowed the establishment of independently funded law colleges, expanding legal education opportunities.
  • Amendment No. 2 to the Spouses Law : Expanded women's rights in marital property relations, ensuring greater financial and legal protections.