Erel Margalit
| Erel Margalit | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Date of birth | 1 January 1961 |
| Place of birth | Na'an, Israel |
| Knessets | 19, 20 |
| Faction represented in Knesset | |
| 2013–2015 | Labor Party |
| 2015– | Zionist Union |
Erel Margalit (Hebrew: אראל מרגלית; born 1 January 1961) is an Israeli politician and a high-tech and social entrepreneur. He is currently a Member of the Knesset on behalf of the Labor Party. Previously, he was the founder and managing partner of the Jerusalem-based venture capital firm Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP). In 2005, Forbes international business magazine selected Margalit as the top-ranking non-American venture capitalist on its prestigious "Midas (The Golden Touch) List.” In 2010, The Marker Magazine named him the best venture capitalist in Israel. Margalit is a founder of the Avoda Now movement in 2011 which aimed to rehabilitate the Labour Party following the split by Ehud Barak and the creation of HaAtzma'ut Party. In 2013, Margalit was elected to the 19th Knesset as a representative of the Labor party. Margalit currently serves as a member of the prestigious Finance Committee and the Science and Technology Committee. He chairs the Parliamentary Task Forces for Economic Development in the North and the Negev, Cyber Protection and Combating Living Costs in Israel, and co-chairs the Parliamentary Task Force for Small and Medium Businesses, Integrating the Ultra-Orthodox in the High-Tech Sector, Employment for the Arab-Israeli Sector, 40+ Employment, and the Task Force for the City of Jerusalem.
Erel Margalit was born in Kibbutz Na'an the eldest of three siblings. His father, Itzik Margalit, was one of the founders of Moshav Kfar Haim, and his mother, Mickey, was a founding member of Moshav Avihail. In 1969, the family was sent on a mission to Detroit, Michigan where his father was head of a local Hebrew school. While in high school in Michigan, Erel became a point-guard on a local basketball team. After returning to Israel in 1971, he attended Rene Cassin High School in Jerusalem where he continued to play basketball. Recognition of his talent led to an offer to join the Israeli youth team, but he declined in favor of serving in an IDF combat unit. He served in the Golani Brigade's "Orev" unit as an operations officer, reaching the rank of sergeant major. As a reservist in 1982, he fought in the First Lebanon War with the IDF's airborne anti-tank division.
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