Elon, Benyamin (Benny)(1954–)

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ELON, BENYAMIN (BENNY)(1954–)

member of Knesset. Born in Jerusalem in 1954, Elon studied at Yeshivat Merkaz Harav and served as a chaplain in the Israel Defense Force (IDF). He was a Jewish Agency emissary to the United States from 1983 to 1985. On his return to Israel, he taught at the Ateret Cohanim Center in Jerusalem and in 1990 founded Yeshivat Beit Orot. In 1996 he was elected to the Knesset on the Moledet list, serving since that time on various committees, including the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee and the Committee for Foreign Workers. In October 2001, following the death of tourism minister Rehavam Ze'evi, Elon was appointed minister of tourism. A member of the National Unity Party, he has been a staunch supporter of the Gush Emunim and West Bank settlements.

SEE ALSO Gush Emunim.