Dalia Itzik

Dalia Itzik
הצלם אלכס קולומויסקי וידיעות אחרונות · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Dalia Itzik
Birth date	20 October 1952
Birth place	Jerusalem, Israel
Office	Speaker of the Knesset
Term start	28 February 2006
Term end	28 March 2009
Predecessor	Reuven Rivlin
Successor	Reuven Rivlin
Office2	Acting President of Israel
Term start2	25 January 2007
Term end2	15 July 2007
Predecessor2	Moshe Katsav
Successor2	Shimon Peres
Party	Labor Party, Kadima, Independent
Alma mater	Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Dalia Itzik is an Israeli politician and public servant who served as Speaker of the Knesset and as acting President of Israel in 2007. A member of the Knesset across multiple parties, she held cabinet posts including Minister of the Environment and Minister of Communications and was the first woman to serve as Speaker and to act as President. Itzik's career spans municipal leadership in Jerusalem, legal work, and national legislative and executive roles.

Early life and education

Born in Jerusalem in 1952 to a family of Iraqi Jewish descent, Itzik grew up in the Katamon neighborhood during the formative decades of the State of Israel. She completed secondary education before serving in the Israel Defense Forces in roles common to reservists and conscripts of her cohort. Itzik studied law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she earned an LL.B., concurrently engaging with student circles and civic organizations active in Jerusalem municipal politics, Israeli women's movements, and broader Israeli society activism.

Legal and municipal career

After qualifying as an attorney, Itzik practiced law in Jerusalem and became involved in local administration. She served on the Jerusalem City Council, working alongside figures from parties such as Labor, Likud, and municipal blocs connected to leaders like Teddy Kollek and later Ehud Olmert. Her municipal work involved coordination with bodies including the Jerusalem Municipality, civic NGOs, and committees addressing urban planning, cultural institutions, and social services. This municipal record provided a platform for national office, connecting her with policymakers in Knesset committees and national ministries.

Knesset career

Itzik was first elected to the Knesset on the Labor list and served on parliamentary committees that engaged with issues linked to ministries such as the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Communications (Israel). During her Knesset tenure she shifted party affiliation, joining Kadima after its founding by Ariel Sharon in 2005, and continued to serve as a prominent legislator under leaders including Ehud Olmert and Tzipi Livni. As a member of the Knesset she chaired and participated in committees that coordinated with ministries, municipal authorities, and international parliamentary delegations from countries including United States, United Kingdom, and EU member states, enhancing parliamentary diplomacy.

Ministerial roles and acting presidency

In cabinet roles, Itzik served as Minister of the Environment and as Minister of Communications, portfolios that required engagement with regulatory bodies, industry stakeholders, and international counterparts such as the European Union environmental and communications agencies. On 28 February 2006 she was elected Speaker of the Knesset, succeeding Reuven Rivlin, and became the first woman to hold that office. Following the suspension of President Moshe Katsav amid legal proceedings, the Knesset designated Itzik as Acting President on 25 January 2007; she performed ceremonial and constitutional duties until the inauguration of Shimon Peres on 15 July 2007.

Political positions and initiatives

Throughout her career Itzik advocated for policies reflecting centrist and pragmatic approaches aligned at times with Labor social-democratic ideas and at times with Kadima centrist platforms. Her environmental initiatives coordinated with international frameworks such as Kyoto Protocol-related mechanisms and European environmental standards, while her communications reforms addressed regulatory frameworks connecting to telecommunications firms and broadcasters influenced by entities like Bezeq and Keshet. Itzik backed parliamentary reforms to strengthen legislative oversight and worked on social welfare measures in coordination with ministries and NGOs addressing issues linked to leaders and institutions such as Amidar and municipal service providers in Jerusalem.

Personal life and honors

Itzik is married with children and has balanced family life with public service, maintaining ties to community organizations in Jerusalem and to networks of women in Israeli politics including connections to figures such as Golda Meir’s legacy groups and contemporary leaders like Tzipi Livni. Over her career she received recognition from civic bodies and municipal institutions for her public service, and her tenure as Speaker and Acting President placed her among a small group of Israeli politicians whose roles intersected with presidents and prime ministers including Ariel Sharon, Ehud Olmert, and Shimon Peres.

Category:Israeli politicians Category:Speakers of the Knesset Category:1952 births Category:Living people