Gideon Sa’ar

Gideon Sa’ar is an Israeli politician who was born on December 9, 1966, in Tel Aviv. 

Sa’ar’s father made aliyah to Israel in 1965 from Argentina and Gideon grew up primarily in Tel Aviv, but as a child, he lived for a number of years in Mitzpe Ramon, where his father worked as a pediatrician, and in kibbutz Sde Boker, where he was the kibbutz doctor. 

At the time, Sde Boker was the residence of Israel’s founding Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion. His father was frequently in contact with Ben-Gurion as the kibbutz doctor, and the young Gideon Sa’ar met Ben-Gurion numerous times when accompanying his father on visits to his home, during which Ben-Gurion gave him geography quizzes. 

fter serving in the Israel Defense Forces as an intelligence NCO in the Golani Brigade, Sa’ar studied political science at Tel Aviv University and then went on to study law at the same institution.

Sa’ar served as aide to the Attorney-General (1995-1997) and the State Attorney (1997-1998). Before entering politics, he served as Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet secretary (1999, 2001-2002).

Elected to the Knesset in 2003, he has served as Likud Parliamentary Group Chairman and was an active lobbyist. He was a member of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, the House Committee, the Committee for Immigration, Absorption, and Diaspora Affairs, and as Chairman of the Committee on the Status of Women. In the 17th Knesset (2006-2009) he also served as Deputy Speaker of the Knesset.

Sa’ar was appointed Minister of Education in March 2009, a post he held until 2013. That year, he was appointed as Minister of Internal Affairs.

In September 2014, Sa’ar announced that he would be resigning before the next election, but remained a member of the Likud. He left the Knesset on November 5.

On April 3, 2017, Sa’ar announced his return to politics and intention to run in the Likud primaries. He was seen as a potential candidate for party leadership and eventually prime minister but could not wrest control of the party from Prime Minister Netanyahu.

In December 2020, Sa’ar announced that he would leave Likud and form his own party, called New Hope.

Sa’ar is opposed to a two-state solution, arguing “there is at most a two-state slogan” and it would be “a mistake to return to the idea of establishing a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria as a solution to the conflict.”

He has called for the annexation of the West Bank while being open to allowing the Palestinians autonomy in a federation with Jordan.

Sa’ar has photos of Herzl and Jabotinsky on his wall. He explained: “My father came to Israel on the ship that was called Theodor Herzl. He was the founder of a Zionist movement as a practical movement, and within eight years he created a revolution and really changed the history of our people. Jabotinsky is a Zionist leader whose views I believe in—not only in terms of the “iron wall” and other ideas connected to the struggle of Zionism, but also [regarding] liberal issues of equality between men and women for example. And this is what I believe.”

In May 2013, Sa’ar married Israeli news anchor Geula Even, with whom he has two children.

“I am a proud Jew and a proud Zionist,” he told the Washington Institute. “I dedicate my life for the State of Israel. I served as an infantry soldier and I am still serving my country as a public servant. I am a husband and a father; I have four kids. I also have a grandson. The future is important for me, and I can only ensure the future by making the future of Israel more prosperous.”

Sources: Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Gideon Sa’ar, Wikipedia.
“New Leadership For Israel? A Conversation With Gideon Saar,” Washington Institute, (February 10, 2021).