View source for Ze'ev Elkin

{{Short description|Israeli politician (born 1971)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|image = זאב אלקין (cropped).png
|caption = Elkin in 2018
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|4|3|df=y}}
|birth_place = [[Kharkiv|Kharkov]], [[Kharkiv Oblast|Kharkov Oblast]], [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukraine]], [[Soviet Union]]
|death_date =
|death_place =
|nationality = [[Soviet citizenship law|Soviet]] (1971–1990)<br>[[Israeli citizenship law|Israeli]] (1990–present)
|office1 = Ministerial roles
|suboffice1 = {{nowrap|[[Ministry of Immigrant Absorption|Minister of Immigrant Absorption]]}}
|subterm1 = 2015–2016
|suboffice2 = [[Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Minister of Israel|Minister of Jerusalem Affairs]]
|subterm2 = 2015–2019
|suboffice3 = {{nowrap|[[Ministry of Environmental Protection (Israel)|Minister of Environmental Protection]]}}
|subterm3 = 2016–2020
|suboffice4 = {{nowrap|[[Ministry of Higher Education|Minister of Higher Education]]}}
|subterm4 = 2020
|suboffice5 = {{nowrap|[[Ministry of Water Resources (Israel)|Minister of Water Resources]]}}
|subterm5 = 2020
|suboffice6 = [[Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Minister of Israel|Minister of Jerusalem Affairs]]
|subterm6 = 2021–2022
|suboffice7 = [[Ministry of Construction (Israel)|Minister of Housing & Construction]]
|subterm7 = 2021–2022
|office8=Faction represented in the [[Knesset]]
|suboffice8 = [[Kadima]]
|subterm8 = 2006–2009
|suboffice9 = [[Likud]]
|subterm9 = 2009–2020
|suboffice10 = [[New Hope (Israel)|New Hope]]
|subterm10 = 2021
|suboffice11 = [[National Unity (Israel)|National Unity]]
|subterm11 = 2022–
|suboffice12 = [[New Hope (Israel)|New Hope]]
|subterm12 = 2024–
|}}

'''Ze'ev Elkin'''{{efn|{{langx|he|זְאֵב אֵלְקִין}}; ''Ze'ev Elkin''<br>{{langx|ru|Зеэв Элькин}}; ''Zeev El'kin''}} (born 3 April 1971)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Knesset Member Zeev Elkin |url=https://main.knesset.gov.il/en/mk/apps/mk/mk-personal-details/768 |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=Knesset}}</ref> is an Israeli politician who currently serves as a Member of the [[Knesset]] for the [[New Hope (Israel)|New Hope Party]]. He was previously a member of the [[Knesset]] for [[Kadima]], [[Likud]] and the [[National Unity (Israel)|National Unity Party]] and served as [[Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Minister of Israel|Minister of Jerusalem Affairs]], [[Ministry of Construction (Israel)|Minister of Housing and Construction]], [[Ministry of Immigrant Absorption|Minister of Immigrant Absorption]], [[Ministry of Environmental Protection (Israel)|Minister of Environmental Protection]], [[Ministry of Higher Education|Minister of Higher Education]] and [[Ministry of Water Resources (Israel)|Minister of Water Resources]].

==Biography==
Born Vladimir Borisovich Elkin to a secular Russian-speaking Jewish family in [[Kharkiv]] in the [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic]] of the [[Soviet Union]] (now part of an independent [[Ukraine]]), Elkin became interested in [[Judaism]], joined the [[Bnei Akiva]] movement, and learned [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] on his own. He studied mathematics and physics at [[Kharkiv University]] from 1987 to 1990, earning a [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] in mathematics. He founded the Association of Hebrew and Jewish Teachers during his time at university. In 1990, he became the general secretary of the [[Soviet Union]] branch of Bnei Akiva. In December that year he [[aliyah|immigrated]] to [[Israel]] along with his wife.

He studied at the [[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]], gaining a BA in history in 1994 and an MA in history in the same year. Later, Elkin was involved in academic Jewish and medieval studies; in particular, he studied the works of [[Saadia Gaon]]. He was also involved in Jewish education in the countries of the former Soviet Union. He also studied at [[Yeshivat Har Etzion]] in 1995.

==Political career==
Elkin was elected to the [[2006 Israeli legislative election|17th Knesset]] in 2006 as a member of [[Kadima]] and chaired the subcommittee on the absorption of immigrant children and youth. In November 2008 he decided to quit Kadima, as he considered it to have become a left-wing party.<ref name="MK Elkin to Quit Kadima">{{Cite web|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/128360|work=[[Arutz Sheva]]|title=MK Elkin to Quit Kadima|date=12 November 2008|access-date=2008-11-12}}</ref> He subsequently joined Likud, and won twentieth place on its list for the [[2009 Israeli legislative election|2009 elections]]. He retained his seat as Likud won 27 mandates.

In November 2012, he released an election video for his Likud primaries campaign that went viral, earning 250,000 views in only a matter of days.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/162531#.ULTK74agCBA|title=MK's Election Video goes Viral|work=[[Arutz Sheva]]|date=26 November 2012|access-date=26 October 2020}}</ref> He was subsequently re-elected again in [[2013 Israeli legislative election|2013]]. He served as Deputy [[Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel|Minister of Foreign Affairs]] between March 2013 and June 2014, and then became Chairman of the Knesset's [[Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee]].

Elkin was placed eighth on the Likud list for the [[2015 Israeli legislative election|2015 elections]], and was re-elected when Likud won 30 seats. After the elections, he was appointed Minister of Immigrant Absorption and Minister of Strategic Affairs in the [[Thirty-fourth government of Israel|new government]]. Elkin surrendered the Strategic Affairs post after only 11 days, when Prime Minister Netanyahu appointed [[Gilad Erdan]] Minister of Public Security, Strategic Affairs, and Public Diplomacy on 24 May 2015.<ref name= "Israel's Answer">{{cite web |title=Israel's answer to the BDS movement - Gilad Erdan |last=Hofmann |first=Gil |url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Israels-answer-to-the-BDS-movement-Gilad-Erdan-404038 |newspaper=[[The Jerusalem Post]]|date=2015-05-25 |access-date=2015-05-26}}</ref> Elkin demanded the [[Minister of Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs|Minister of Jerusalem Affairs]] portfolio as compensation for losing Strategic Affairs. Netanyahu met his demand, breaking an election promise to the Mayor of Jerusalem, [[Nir Barkat]], who had wanted Netanyahu to retain the portfolio himself.<ref name= "Elkin">{{cite news |title=Netanyahu Names Jerusalem Minister; Piquing Mayor |last=Gross |first=Judah Ari |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-names-jerusalem-minister-piquing-mayor/ |newspaper=[[The Times of Israel]] |date=2015-05-25 |access-date=2015-05-26}}</ref>

On 30 May 2016, Elkin lost the portfolio of Minister of Immigrant Absorption to [[Sofa Landver]] of [[Yisrael Beiteinu]]. However, on 1 August 2016, he was appointed Minister of Environmental Protection, succeeding [[Avi Gabbay]]. He ran for the Jerusalem mayoralty in the [[2018 Jerusalem mayoral election|2018 local elections]] on the "Jerusalem Will Succeed" list.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Jerusalem-Mayor-Lion-fails-to-draft-rival-Berkovichs-party-to-coalition-575362|title=Jerusalem mayor Lion fails to draft rival Berkovitch's party to coalition|newspaper=The Jerusalem Post|last=Hoffman|first=Gil|date=25 December 2018|access-date=26 October 2020}}</ref> Despite being endorsed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he was eliminated in the first round.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Early-Municipal-elections-results-Huldai-wins-Minister-Elkin-drops-out-570736|title=Municipal election results: Huldai wins TA, Elkin drops out of J'lem race|newspaper=The Jerusalem Post|first1=Hagay|last1=Hacohen|first2=Gil|last2=Hoffman|first3=Tamara|last3=Zieve|date=31 October 2018|access-date=26 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Netanyahu-formally-endorses-Elkin-for-Jerusalem-mayor-567336 | title=Netanyahu formally endorses Elkin for Jerusalem mayor | date=16 September 2018 | first=Gil | last=Hoffman | newspaper=The Jerusalem Post | access-date=1 January 2019}}</ref>

He was re-elected to the Knesset in [[April 2019 Israeli legislative election|April 2019]], [[September 2019 Israeli legislative election|September 2019]] and [[2020 Israeli legislative election|March 2020]]. In May 2020 he was appointed to the newly created posts of [[Ministry of Higher Education|Minister of Higher Education]] and [[Ministry of Water Resources (Israel)|Minister of Water Resources]] in the [[Thirty-fifth government of Israel|new government]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/.premium-israel-s-biggest-government-set-to-be-sworn-in-this-is-what-it-would-look-like-1.8845810|title=After Year of Deadlock and Days of Delays, Knesset Swears in New Israeli Government|first1=Chaim|last1=Levinson|first2=Jonathan|last2=Lis|work=[[Haaretz]]|date=17 May 2020|access-date=26 October 2020}}</ref>

Elkin resigned from the government as Minister of Water Resources and Higher Education, left Likud and joined [[Gideon Sa'ar]]'s party, [[New Hope (Israel)|New Hope]], on 23 December 2020.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/zeev-elkin-quits-likud-to-join-saar-accuses-netanyahu-of-destroying-party/ | title=Quitting Likud to join Sa'ar, Ze'ev Elkin says Netanyahu forced these elections| date=23 December 2020| author=|newspaper=[[The Times of Israel]]| access-date=23 December 2020}}</ref> He was placed third on the list for the [[2021 Israeli legislative election|March 2021 elections]] and regained his seat in the Knesset as New Hope won six seats.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://votes24.bechirot.gov.il/|title=תוצאות האמת של הבחירות לכנסת ה-24|website=votes24.bechirot.gov.il|publisher=[[Central Elections Committee]]|language=he|access-date=6 April 2021}}</ref> He was subsequently appointed [[Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Minister of Israel|Minister of Jerusalem Affairs]] and [[Ministry of Construction (Israel)|Minister of Housing & Construction]] in the [[Thirty-sixth government of Israel|new government]]. After joining the government, he resigned from the Knesset under the [[Norwegian Law (Israel)|Norwegian Law]] and was replaced by [[Meir Yitzhak Halevi]].

Because of Elkin's fluency in Russian, he for more than a decade has served as an interpreter for both Prime Ministers [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] and [[Naftali Bennett]] whenever they have met with Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/israeli-pm-bennett-meets-putin-moscow-discuss-ukraine-crisis-2022-03-05/|title=Israeli PM meets Putin in Moscow, then speaks with Zelenskiy by phone|first1=Dan|last1=Williams|first2=Maayan|last2=Lubell|date=5 March 2022|access-date=10 March 2022|website=Reuters.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-700430|title=Naftali Bennett's life-saving Shabbat mission to Moscow - analysis|newspaper=[[The Jerusalem Post]]|first=Lahav|last=Harkov|date=5 March 2022|access-date=10 March 2022}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Elkin is married, and has five children. {{cn|date=March 2022}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{MKlink|id=768}}

{{Current MKs}}
{{Israeli Environment Ministers}}
{{Israeli Housing and Construction Ministers}}
{{Israeli Immigrant Absorption Ministers}}
{{Chairmen of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elkin, Ze'ev}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Soviet Jews]]
[[Category:Jewish Ukrainian politicians]]
[[Category:Kadima politicians]]
[[Category:Likud politicians]]
[[Category:New Hope (Israel) politicians]]
[[Category:Deputy ministers of Israel]]
[[Category:Hebrew University of Jerusalem alumni]]
[[Category:Members of the 17th Knesset (2006–2009)]]
[[Category:Members of the 18th Knesset (2009–2013)]]
[[Category:Members of the 19th Knesset (2013–2015)]]
[[Category:Members of the 20th Knesset (2015–2019)]]
[[Category:Members of the 21st Knesset (2019)]]
[[Category:Members of the 22nd Knesset (2019–2020)]]
[[Category:Members of the 23rd Knesset (2020–2021)]]
[[Category:Members of the 24th Knesset (2021–2022)]]
[[Category:Members of the 25th Knesset (2022–)]]
[[Category:Soviet emigrants to Israel]]
[[Category:Ministers of environment of Israel]]
[[Category:Ministers of housing of Israel]]
[[Category:Israeli Orthodox Jews]]
[[Category:Government ministers of Israel]]
[[Category:Jewish Israeli politicians]]
[[Category:Politicians from Kharkiv]]
[[Category:Yeshivat Har Etzion alumni]]