Yuli Tamir
Israel- Early Life and Military Service
- Education and Philosophy
- Political Activism and Entry into Politics
- Knesset Service
- Retirement from Politics and Academia
Early Life and Military Service
Yuli Tamir was born in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1954. She attended Alliance School in Ramat Aviv and later served in the Israeli Defense Forces' Military Intelligence Directorate (Unit 848). During the Yom Kippur War, she served as an officer on an outpost in the Sinai Peninsula. She retired from service with the rank of Lieutenant.
Education and Philosophy
Tamir holds a Bachelor's degree in Biology and a Master's degree in Political Science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She then earned a Doctorate in Political Philosophy from Oxford University. From 1989 to 1999, she lectured in philosophy at Tel Aviv University and was a Research Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, as well as at Princeton and Harvard Universities.
Political Activism and Entry into Politics
Tamir co-founded the "Shalom Achshav" peace movement in 1978 and was active in the "Ratz" party from 1980 to 1985. In 1995, she became active in the Labor Party and chaired the Association for Civil Rights in Israel from 1988 to 1999. Despite failing to enter the Knesset in the 1999 elections, Tamir was appointed Minister of Immigrant Absorption in Ehud Barak's government.
Knesset Service
Tamir was elected to the Knesset in the 2003 elections. She served on numerous parliamentary committees, including the Finance Committee, the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee, and the Committee on Public and Cultural Affairs. She also worked on the Knesset's Committee on Inquiry into Governmental Corruption. She was re-elected in 2006 and served as Minister of Education in Ehud Olmert's government until 2009. She also served as Minister of Science, Culture and Sport from November 2006 to March 2007. She retained her Knesset seat in the 2009 elections.
Retirement from Politics and Academia
On April 11, 2010, Tamir announced her retirement from politics and resigned from the Knesset. She was replaced by Labor activist Ra'aleb Majadele. Following her departure from politics, Tamir returned to academia and accepted the position of President of Shenkar College.
